Circling
by Latent Radiance
Summary: In Ancient Egypt history, there is a mystery that stumps even the brightest of historians. A Nameless Pharaoh, so to speak, had mysteriously disappeared on a day lost to the records of any scroll. He left behind a troubled kingdom and darkened country. Millennia have passed since this fateful event, and one college graduate aims to uncover it all. Yaoi, eventual Mobiumshipping
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Finally found time to upload this. This will be my first multiple chapter fic and I'll be trying to update once every week or so.

Anyways, this story is an AU and will have Yaoi in it. The pairings are still mostly undecided yet, but so far we have Puppyshipping (Jounouchi/Joey & Seto Kaiba) and eventual Mobiumshipping (Atemu & Yami & Yuugi).

Atemu and Yami won't be appearing for a few chapters, but they'll be here soon enough. I can promise that Yami will be here around chapter 3, but Atemu will have to wait.

Now that that's out of the way, here's chapter 1 of Circling!

* * *

Yuugi was crouched over a table, scribbling notes as he scrolled through an online article shining back at him from the computer screen. His hair was messier than usual - a feat previously thought to be impossible from his friends' point of views - it's spiky edges spanning out at steep angles, the tips frayed like an old rope's. The usual amethyst orbs that inhabited his face, making it seem even more childish than the slightly chubby features already did, were dulled in exhaustion.

He hadn't slept in a good forty-eight hours.

A gentle knock sounded from behind him, making the young man glance up for a moment. Racking his brain, Yuugi tried to remember if he had forgotten anything that would make anyone interrupt him while working, something he made sure everyone knew he didn't approve of.

"Yuugi! You've been up here all day and haven't even come down for anything to eat!"

Oh, right. Eating.

"Just a minute, Jii-chan! I'm on roll and if I stop now, I'll lose it!"

He could practically feel his grandfather's eyes roll. He had always disapproved of Yuugi's almost obsession over this ancient mystery that he himself had poked through for half of his life. "A good waste of thirty years" was a favorite muttering Sugoroku often said whenever the topic was brought up - which was on a daily basis.

After hearing the heavy footfalls of his grandfather returning downstairs, Yuugi turned back to his work. It mystified him greatly. How could a Pharaoh just disappear one night, with no mentionings of it anywhere? Not one word was spoken in any texts about the Pharaoh other than when his reign started. No ending point. It was speculated to have ended around five years after gaining the throne, for the Pharaoh after this dubbed "Nameless Pharaoh" started his reign around that time. Strange, since that Pharaoh was the Nameless Pharaoh's cousin, the closest living relative to him. A Pharaoh around his age would most likely already have heirs in wait to take over. Theories say the missing royal had a forbidden love, but Yuugi hardly believed these, for there was hardly any evidence to prove it.

"Yuugi!" came the warning voice from downstairs. Sighing, the young man closed his laptop and put away his notes. He could use a break from this. But just a little one. His mind could get easily distracted, after all.

Half stumbling like a drunk, and half slowly walking like a slug down the stairs, Yuugi carefully guided his body towards the dining room, where lunch was served. Sugoroku was watching with barely concealed worry. After his grandson finally seated himself, the old man sighed heavily.

"You know, this isn't how I imagined you using that archeology degree after graduating from Domino University."

Yuugi groaned, covering his face in exasperation. "Not this conversation again, Jii-chan," he mumbled through his hands. "I can do what I want with my life, so just leave me alone, okay?"

"Now, Yuugi, you know that I'm just concerned for you. I spent a good portion of my life dedicating myself to solving this, but I only ended up where I started." Sugoroku leaned across the table to lift his grandson's chin up so their gazes connected. "I don't want you to regret wasting away while you work on this."

Shooting a stinging glare at him, Yuugi paused his slow eatings. "I'll probably have to go to Egypt soon. Ishizu called me the other day and said she might've found something." He took a mouthful of soup before continuing. "But I won't go until we can afford the flight. You know how I am about others paying for me."

Sugoroku frowned. "When did she call?"

"Just yesterday. I forgot to tell you sooner."

Humming softly, the old man left Yuugi to his food. He'd let his grandson off this time, but next time…

The sharp jingle of the bell situated above their game shop door sounded, announcing the arrival of a customer. Sugoroku hustled over to the business part of their house and peeked over the door.

"Hello and welcome to Kame Game Shop, what can I…" The old man blinked, doubletaking at the newcomer. "Katsuya Jounouchi? What're you doing here? Weren't you just in Tokyo for a Dueling Tournament?"

A tall, blond and lanky man turned and gave Sugoroku his signature smirk, honey eyes warm. He shifted the black jacket around his shoulder and cleared his voice to clear any awkward air. "Sorry for the sudden visit, Jii-san. My phone died, and I was just so excited to be back I forgot to charge it." Jounouchi glanced around. "Is Yuugi anywhere? He's not still working away on that 'Nameless Pharaoh' stuff, is he?"

Sugoroku chuckled. "Ah, well that's quite alright, Jounouchi. I just got Yuugi to get down here and eat some soup. If you hurry, you'll catch him before he locks himself back into his den."

Jounouchi nodded his thanks and slipped inside. "Yuugi! Ya better not be in your room doing what I think you're doing when your bestfriend is down here getting all lonely!" His shout echoed throughout the small house, and a dull thunk followed by loud curses quickly came afterwards.

The two men exchanged a look. "Bedroom." Rolling his eyes, Jounouchi took the steps two at a time and burst into his little buddy's room. Yuugi was on the floor, having fallen from his chair in alarm when his friend yelled. Notes and papers were scattered around the room, an obvious attempt to balance himself.

"Jou? You gave me a freaking heart attack!" Yuugi whined, rubbing his sore head. "When did you get in?"

Jounouchi snickered slightly. "Eh, sorry, bud. Just got in this morning." He stooped down and easily picked up the smaller, lighter man into a tight embrace. "Dang, man, I missed ya." He took a glance at the other's face, nose wrinkling. "You look like hell. Have you been sleeping?"

Yuugi squirmed in his friend's grasp. "Let go, _mother_. I've been eating and sleeping like a regular person, now _put me down!" _

"Really now? Then why do you like you're going to pass out the second I set ya on the ground?"

To prove his point, Jounouchi promptly placed Yuugi back on his feet, who immediately wobbled and fell on his butt.

Jounouchi howled in laughter as the smaller man scowled. "You didn't give me any time to balance, ya jerk!" This didn't cease the other's laughter, however, so Yuugi just focused on standing by using the nearby table as a crutch. Once that task was completed, he smacked Jounouchi's head hard, quickly putting an end to his amusement.

"Ow…" the blond whimpered. "That hurt, Yuug'."

Yuugi just ignored him and took a seat on his bed. "So, any news on the apartment?" His voice was hopeful with a smidge of desperation. He'd been looking for a place to live since graduating from college, since living with his grandfather was getting a bit tedious. Jounouchi had personally put himself in charge of where his bestfriend would live, much to Yuugi's chagrin.

"That eager to move?" Jounouchi teased lightly, plopping himself beside the other with a sigh. "Well, I looked into it, and it seems affordable. A few ten thousand yen per month. Still high, but that's Japan for you." His gave a small huff of amusement. "It's a good size for one or two people, three if you really wanted, and very comfortable. I'd get it."

Yuugi nodded, lying down to mull it over. "Anything that pleases you has to be good, right? I mean, you turned down everything else I suggested without so much as a second glance."

"Plus, this place is close to here, so you can come and help Jii-san often. And don't worry about the rent so much. You know I've got lots of money to spare."

"Yeah, ever seen you starting dating Seto Kaiba. I don't get you, Jou. That guy's an egotistical asshole, you two fight every time you see each other, and yet you still claim to love him." Yuugi rolled his eyes, sighing deeply. Jounouchi just lightly punched him in the arm.

Yuugi waved a loose hand in the air. "I guess I'll get this apartment you're talking about. Jii-chan is probably sick of me anyways."

"Sick of you being buried in this mystery thingy?"

Jounouchi quickly added as soon as that pointed glare shot his way, "Right, not a thingy. Eheh..." He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

There were a few moments of silence before Yuugi cleared his throat, gaining attention. "Ishizu called. She says she found something very important that will help me with this-" he gestured to the notes on the table. "-and that I need to come to Egypt right away. I'm currently saving up for the trip, but it'll take me a while…"

A loud snort made Yuugi stop and snap towards Jounouchi. The blond was covering his mouth, false hurt showing in those honey eyes. "Ya know I can always pay for the tickets, right? I'm wounded to know you wouldn't even consider that an option." His hand moved over his chest to be placed above the heart, giving a fragile pout that was twitching in want to become a smirk.

Yuugi shook his head. "No, Jou. I wouldn't ask for that. It's a pretty expensive trip, and you're already paying for my apartment, and I'm sure Seto wouldn't like it if you keep spending all of his money, which I'm sure he needs to run his company, and-"

A large hand clamped onto Yuugi's mouth, stopping anymore words from spilling out. "Now, come on, Yuug'. Ya know I'm your friend, and friends help other friends out. And don't ya worry about Seto. He'd give me anything I'd ask for the moment I asked for it." Jounouchi snickered evilly. "I bet he'd even wear a frilly apron if I'd ask him to."

The tri-colored haired teen rolled his eyes, shoving Jounouchi's hand away so he could breath again. "Got him wrapped tightly around your finger, huh?" They chuckled for a few more moments before Yuugi suddenly became somber again. "You'd really do this for me, Jou? Practically paying for everything?"

Jounouchi made a 'pshaw' sound, waving the words away with the flick of a wrist. "What're friends for?"

A slightly goofy looking grin slowly came upon Yuugi, and he jumped into the other's arms in his excitement. "Thank you! Thankyouthankyouthankyou! You're the bestest friend ever!"

"Ack! Let go, you're squeezin' the lungs right out of me!"

* * *

Jii-chan: Grandpa

Jii-san: Formal Grandfather

10,000 yen = about 100 usd

Next Chapter: Yuugi goes to Egypt.

R&R~


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Alright, second chapter is up! I had a massive plot realization last night, making me dash to my computer to type this up. I feel like the beginning is a little rushed, but I made myself slow down towards the end.

For those of you eager to see some Mobiumshipping, Yami will be appearing fulltime in the next chapter. I've also decided to add in Bakushipping (Akefia & Bakura & Ryou) and Bronzeshipping (Malik & Mariku). Bakura and Mariku will also be appearing next chapter, while Atemu and Akefia will come in sometime in the future (haven't decided exactly when yet). Now onto reviews~

**Great (Anonymous review): **No, Yuugi isn't a big duelist in this story. He still plays Duel Monsters occasionally, but has more of an obsession over the Nameless Pharaoh (hehe). I've always seen Jounouchi as the type to pursue his Duel Monster dreams even into adulthood, so that's what I did.

Thanks to everyone else who reviewed/favorited/followed this story and enjoy the next chapter~

* * *

Yuugi stretched his tired muscles, groaning as pleasure seeped into his body.

The trip to Egypt had been terrible. Crying babies, a yapping dog who sat rather uncomfortably in a purse, a seating neighbor who wouldn't stop talking about how they were all going to die every time the plane hit the slightest amount of turbulence.

Oh, yes. Yuugi Mutou was just _peachy._

His colleague and trusted friend, Ishizu Ishtar, had taken the liberty of booking him a comfortable hotel for his stay. She had also called in her slightly annoying and flirty younger brother Malik to pick Yuugi up and take him there. Which was more than okay, since Malik was known to make anyone, no matter how grouchy, smile like an imbecile.

Yuugi dragged his luggage behind him, sending silent thanks to his grandfather for getting him the rolling ones. He didn't bring much, however. Just a suitcase of clothes and a carry on bag filled with other essentials. Like Aspirin for this massive headache.

A car horn alerted Yuugi to the frantically waving blond, tanned man. He had sparkling lavender eyes and was wearing a purple hoodie with the sleeves cut off. Golden bands hugged his upper biceps, wrists, and neck. Heavy earrings clung to his ears and tight pants left almost nothing to imagination. And the way his hoodie cut off at the abs wasn't helping. He was half sitting, half leaning out of the car's window, yelling Yuugi's name like a mantra. Slightly embarrassed by all the attention the loud man was getting, Yuugi hurried over and slapped his hand over the other's mouth to shut the guy up.

"I'm here! I'm here!" Yuugi hissed, face tinted a subtle red. "Now help me get these bags in the car."

Malik quickly got out of the car and squeezed the smaller man in a bear hug. "Yuugi! Man, what's it been? A whole year? We seriously need to catch up."

Yuugi shoved his friend away once the need for air overpowered him. "Good to see you, too, Malik. Now help me."

After packing the backseat of the car, the two young men drove off. Malik was quick into engaging about all the little events Yuugi had missed, his mouth never ceasing to move even when he had to breath. Yuugi just nodded occasionally, wondering how far this hotel was so he could take his Aspirin.

Finally arriving and checking in, Yuugi collapsed onto his double bed. Malik had left as soon as they had arrived at his room, telling the tri-colored haired man that his sister expected to see him tomorrow.

"She's got a pretty big surprise for all of us!" Malik had exclaimed.

Yuugi's eyebrow quirked. "All of us?" he repeated uneasily.

"Yeah. Apparently,_ ane_ has something for all of us. That includes this other guy. I've only met him once - he's from London or something - and his name's Ryou...I think. _Ane _won't tell me what she has planned, but she's always like that. Anyways, I'll see you tomorrow, Yuugi-kun!"

Yuugi groaned, wondering what the hell Ishizu had in mind. Over the phone, she had told him that she had found something worth seeing. It had to do with the Nameless Pharaoh that Yuugi was more or less obsessed about. That was enough for Yuugi to start packing.

But what did Malik and this Ryou person have to do with anything? Malik obviously knew nothing, and Ryou was a complete stranger. What could they do to help Yuugi in uncovering this mystery?

All of his thinkings had made Yuugi's headache come back with vengence. Grumbling under his breath, Yuugi was quick to start digging into his carry on bag for the little white pills.

Around an hour of unpacking later, Yuugi's cell called out its familiar ringtone, causing the young man to dash from his small bedroom to the living room area to answer it.

"Hello?" Yuugi muttered breathlessly to the other end.

"Mutou-san. It's Ishizu."

"Ah, Ishtar-san." He shifted on his feet. "Please, we've gone over this. Call me Yuugi."

"Only if you call me Ishizu, then we've got a deal."

Chuckling shortly, Yuugi agreed. "Anyways, Ishizu, I was wondering what you wanted to show me. Malik said something about him and another person named Ryou were involved. May I ask what they have to do with anything?"

There was the sound of shuffling papers on the other end before Ishizu replied. "Malik and Ryou have play an important role in this, Yuugi. All will be explained tomorrow. Anyways, how was the flight in."

The groan Yuugi gave was more than enough information Ishizu needed. "I see, well, I hope you get some good rest, because I want to meet you and the others at my place before noon. Goodnight, Yuugi."

"Yes, I'll see you soon. Goodnight, Ishizu."

After hanging up, Yuugi promptly tossed the phone onto a nearby chair and glared at the clock. It was mocking him with it's late time, and the bed was calling to him. However, Yuugi was still not done unpacking, so he ignored the urges to rest and continued the exhausting task of getting everything organized for his weeklong stay.

* * *

The annoying ringing of his phone awoke Yuugi early the next morning. Growling, he tried his best to ignore it, but it was as if the ringer was purposely trying to get him up at…

Yuugi gaped at the digital clock by his bed. "Six o'clock in the morning?!" He cried out into the darkened room, not caring if he woke up any of his neighbors.

Flailing with the heavy covers that begged him to rest again, Yuugi eventually climbed out of bed and dashed to the living portion of his hotel room, grabbing his phone just as the last ring cried out.

"H-hello?" Yuugi gasped, rubbing his eyes with the other hand.

"Yuugi? Is that you? Why didn't you call?"

The tri-colored haired man resisted the urged to punch something, mainly himself. Of course he had forgotten to call his grandfather as soon as he arrived.

"Yeah, I'm here, Jii-chan." Yuugi mumbled, collapsing on the chair. "Sorry I forgot to call last night...What time is it there anyways?"

"Around one in the afternoon...Why?"

He gave out a loud groan. "Because it's six in the morning where I am, Jii-chan."

Sugoroku gasped, and Yuugi heard the faint screech of a chair in the background. "Oh, I'm sorry, Yuugi. I thought it was six in the afternoon there, not morning...Stupid computer always messing me up."

Yuugi laughed wholeheartedly. "Naw, it's alright, Jii-chan. I'm going to have to get ready anyways to meet Ishizu. I'll call you tonight when I'm more coherent, okay?"

"Well, alright. Talk to you soon."

"Bye, Jii-chan."

After hanging up, Yuugi forced himself to ignored the calling bed and get himself ready. it was around an hour later when his phone rang again. He was seriously starting to considering turning the dang thing off.

"Yuugi!" Came Malik's excited cry before the other could even mutter a greeting. "You have to come over _right_ now! Ryou just arrived and I'm getting really sick of waiting, so get your lazy ass down here!"

Yuugi opened his mouth to protest, but the dialtone was quick to interrupt him. Scowling at his friend's overzealous attitude at such an early hour in the morning, he got on his shoes and stalked out of the hotel in one of his worst moods.

Calling a taxi, Yuugi tried to calm himself down by reminding himself that this was for the Nameless Pharaoh mystery and that if this helped him even the tiniest of bits, it was all going to be worth it.

Malik, Ishizu, and another man who Yuugi guessed was Ryou were waiting for him as the car pulled up. Paying the driver, Yuugi stepped out and was immediately swallowed into a crushing hug by Malik.

Pushing the man off of him, Yuugi smiled at the older woman. "Ishizu, it's nice to see you again." He turned and politely nodded to the other man. He had snowy white hair that reached over his shoulders and kind, doe brown eyes that radiated warmth. "And you must be Ryou. Nice to meet you at last."

Ryou nodded, gently shaking Yuugi's outstretched hand. "It's an honor to finally meet you as well. Mutou-san."

"Please, call me Yuugi. Mutou-san makes me sound like an old man."

Ishizu stepped forward, placing a delicate hand on Yuugi's shoulder. "I am sorry, but now that we are all here, I do not want to waste anymore time. You two will have plenty of time to get to know each other once I show you three what I have."

The three men nodded, quickly following her inside. As they walked, Yuugi slowly felt a chill of unease come over him. Swallowing thickly, he cleared his throat to speak. "What is it you wish to show us, Ishizu? You mentioned that this has to do with the Nameless Pharaoh. Care to elaborate?"

An unknown glint passed over Ishizu's aqua gaze and she smirk down at Yuugi. "Anxious, are we? Well, I guess I could explain a bit, but it will all make sense once you've properly examined the artifacts I have discovered."

"Artifacts?" Ryou spoke up, his voice quiet. "What kind of artifacts?"

"Items that I have concluded do indeed come from the time of the Nameless Pharaoh, and I am certain they hold many answers to our questions on this mystery." Ishizu answered, stopping outside a room that looked like it was for storage. "Excuse me a moment. Malik, show them to the living room while I gather the items."

Nodding, Malik grabbed Yuugi's and Ryou's wrists and pulled them towards the said room. "_Ane_ never allows me to go into that room. It's kind of like she's hiding every known answer to every known question in there, and she won't even tell me if there's an old chair hiding in the corner! Trust me, I've tried to bust in, but it's like she's booby trapped the whole door...Eheh...Booby trapped."

Yuugi and Ryou exchanged an amused gaze, rolling their eyes dramatically. Soon they arrived in the living room area and each took a seat. Malik kept tapping his foot against the floor, creating an annoying sound that caused Yuugi to glare at him. That was, until Malik caught him staring and gave him a toothy grin, winking.

Before Yuugi could retaliate, Ishizu suddenly popped back in to join them. "Alright, now I want you all to separate for this. Please don't ask why, because I can't answer that right now. Malik, I want you to guide Ryou and Yuugi to different guest rooms and then head back here. I'll give you each one item to examine, then leave. Understood?"

The three of them blinked at the business tone in her voice, something that she rarely brought out unless the topic was of serious proportions. Malik was up instantly, again pulling Ryou and Yuugi behind him to the second floor. At the first door, Malik deposited Ryou and slammed it shut, then promptly did the same to Yuugi at the next door before either could protest.

Sighing somewhat dejectedly, Yuugi glanced at the simple decoration of the guest room he was in. A plain tan bed, dressers, a mirror in the corner, a chair in the other, and a couple pictures on the walls.

A sudden knock on his door alerted him to Ishizu's arrival a few minutes later. Opening the plain wood, Yuugi took in the grim stare his older friend had on. She shoved something into his arms before closing the door into his face. Yuugi listened to her rapidly retreating footsteps in confusion before looking at the item in his hands.

It was a golden box, old hieroglyphics carved deeply in the sides. Yuugi recognized the Eye of Horus on the front side, and he traced the gold carefully. Unconsciously, he walked over to the bed and sat down, his mind in a trace at the strange beauty calling out to him.

He swallowed, suddenly feeling apprehensive. What was inside? Why was Ishizu acting so strangely? Was this item...dangerous?

Somehow, Yuugi's mind immediately answered yes to the his last musing, and yet his hand moved to lift the lid off anyways. It came off easily with a soft click, and he gently placed it beside him.

Nothing happened at first, so he leaned in closer to see what was inside the darkened box. Suddenly, black tendrils shot out of it, causing Yuugi to yelp and fling the box into the air in surprise. It landed on the floor, but the dark matter continued to rush out like a flood, gathering beside the bed in a flame-like shape.

Cold, clammy hands came from the black flame and locked onto his throat, lifting the archeologist up against the wall. Yuugi gagged, squinting to find himself staring into blazing violet eyes tinted red.

* * *

Ane: Elder Sister

Ryou: In this story, we won't ever know his last name for reasons I'll explain later. All we know is that it's not going to be Bakura.

R&R~


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I wanted to bring you guys some of the best writing I've done in this chapter, and I hope this satisfies most of you (even if it's a bit short). Anyways, like I promised, Yami will finally appear in this chapter, along with a bit of Mariku at the end. Bakura will definitely appear next chapter, while I still haven't decided when to add Akefia or Atem, but they're coming. (Characters may be a little OOC, just to let you know)

And because I forgot to add it in the last few chapters…

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of its characters (kind of obvious, but whatever)

**Great (Anonymous review): **Like I said last chapter, I'm going to add both Akefia and Bakura in to make Bakushipping with Ryou. However, I'll only bring in Mariku for Malik to make Bronzeshipping because I just can't imagine three Marik's running around (brain overload). So, no, there will not be a third Marik. Side note: I'm writing Malik's darker half with the name of Mariku because the names Malik and Marik are so similar, it'd cause a little confusion between both you the readers and me as the writer. So, Marik will be called Mariku.

Thanks to everyone else who has reviewed/favorited/followed this story and enjoy the next chapter~

* * *

It was a man. Well, looked like a man, for who could really be a man when they pop out of an ancient box in a shroud of black pyrotechnics? He had an angular face, ghostly white skin that was cold to the touch. It contradicted his Egyptian attire greatly. He was also thin, but must have packed plenty of muscle, for he was still holding Yuugi's entire 95 pound weight against the wall. His eyes were a cool violet, but flamed with a red tinge that made Yuugi shiver in fear.

No, definitely not a man. More like a demon.

A deep growl erupted from the other's throat, and Yuugi clawed feebly at the offending hands clutching his neck. It was no use, however, because the tiny scratches Yuugi created into this man's...no, _demon's_ skin wasn't phasing him at all.

It took Yuugi a moment to realize that he was waiting for the smaller to say or do something...but what? Well, either way, Yuugi couldn't possibly do what he wanted because his oxygen supply was getting lower with each passing second.

Something flashed in the demon's eyes, and he instantly loosened his grip, but still kept Yuugi firmly against the wall. It was then that Yuugi finally got a good look at this...thing.

The smaller's breath instantly hitched, whether in surprise or fear, he couldn't bother to care at that moment. This demon's hairstyle strangely resembled his own, except for the extra stiff blond bangs that shot up the base of the ebony structure. The tips were, instead of a soothing violet, was a weird mix of royal purple and crimson, matching his eyes perfectly.

Yuugi swallowed thickly, realizing that the demon was still waiting. He opened and closed his mouth in a vague similarity of how a goldfish would for a few silent moments before his voice finally cooperated.

"Wh-who are you?" Yuugi inwardly cursed himself for the involuntary stutter.

Realization flickered in the other's gaze, closely followed by sorrow, anger, and about a million other emotions that flashed by too quickly to comprehend. The hands clasped around Yuugi's neck finally subsided, dropping the poor man back onto the bed below him.

Yuugi coughed as air filled his lungs too quickly, one of his own hands softly grazing the bruising fingermarks on his neck skin. At that moment, he couldn't have cared less if this demon thought of him as weak and pathetic, since his lungs, which had previously been on fire, felt now that they were getting drenched in freezing water.

"Kkwy."

The smaller's head shot up at the deep voice that had murmured above him. The demon was standing next to the bed, although a bit wearily. Yuugi blinked at the sudden change. What had happened to all that aggression?

"Wh-what?" Yuugi muttered hoarsely.

The demon looked unsure and shifted slightly under questioning amethyst eyes. "Kkwy. That is what I am called."

It took a few moments for Yuugi to process this information, but it clicked soon enough. "Kkwy?" he murmured softly. "That's...that's Egyptian for darkness, isn't it?"

He nodded, although after a few seconds of hesitation. Those exotic eyes turned downcast as his bottom lip was slowly gnawed at. Yuugi groaned silently when he realized that it had just gotten very awkward very fast.

"Uh…" Yuugi cleared his throat, which still burned a bit. "My name's...Yuugi."

The demon - Kkwy, Yuugi corrected himself - blinked at the newfound information. They gazed at each other for a while until utter panic suddenly became on Kkwy's face. He began to dart his gaze over the bed, then onto the floor in desperation until he came upon the ancient box he had be released from.

His features turned serene as he picked up the golden object and held it fondly, tracing the Eye of Horus akin to the way Yuugi did before opening the lid.

"K...Kk..wy," Yuugi slowly pronounced, having a bit of trouble with the foreign syllables. He caught the taller's attention immediately, flinching slightly at the intensity of those eyes. "Man, your name's hard to pronounce…" He hesitated before quietly asking, "Would you mind if I called you...Yami? The meanings are the same, and...I think it suits you better."

The other's gaze narrowed in thought before he gave Yuugi a tight smile, nodding softly. "Yami…" he repeated quietly. "I…guess that would work."

Yuugi hummed, fiddling with the ancient artifact's lid. "So...where exactly did you come from?" He gestured to the box Yami was still tracing. "I don't think that's all you've ever known, correct?"

Yami nodded, licking his lips in an attempt to stall for time. "I...I hail from Khemet."

It was a simple answer, but it still knocked the wind out of Yuugi's lungs once more. This...this man - for Yuugi could now come up with a few reasons as to why Yami would be considered a man - came from the ancient lands of Khemet, the land Yuugi and his grandfather practically worshiped?

But, wait...That would mean…

"How...how old are you?"

Yami seemed to be surprised by the question. It was more than a few minutes afterward until he finally came up with an answer. "I believe...that Ishtar-san said that it has been...3,000 years since I sealed myself into the Sennen Box."

"Sennen Box? You mean that you're holding right there?" Yuugi poked the air between his finger and said box, eyes sparkling once he realized that this man could give him answers to many questions he had about life in Khemet.

Yami nodded in confirmation. "I sealed myself in here to protect-" He suddenly cut himself off, as if he wasn't quite ready to share everything with the other.

Yuugi quickly caught on and hummed in sympathy. "It's okay if you don't want to tell me, I can wait for a little while…" Then questions started to rise up in his system again, but he forced himself to slow down, since Yami still looked rather uncomfortable.

"If you're from Khemet, then how do you speak Japanese?" Yuugi inquired gently, handing the Sennen Box's lid to Yami once he noticed the other staring longingly at it.

Yami capped the box swiftly and with ease, handling the artifact carefully, like it would crumble if a move was in the wrong. "The Sennen Box has special abilities that allow for me to communicate with whoever frees me. This is so the releaser can understand why they can't have the treasure inside, unless, of course, they are the one chosen to unlock the secrets hidden within…" The faintest of blushes quickly overcame Yami's face once he realized that he was rambling, and he turned away to clear his throat.

To Yuugi, it seemed as though Yami was clearly passionate about whatever was inside the item. It spiked the young man's curiosity greatly, but it was also clear that Yami was very protective and touchy about the topic, so Yuugi decided quickly to change the subject to more...talkable things.

"How about we go downstairs and meet everyone, I'm sure they'd love to see you." Yuugi paused, recalling something Yami mentioned earlier. "You met Ishizu already, right? I guess that's why she was acting strangely before she gave me the Sennen Box."

Yami didn't say anything. Instead, he caressed the item in his possession, occasionally clutching it like a lifeline. It was only when Yuugi moved to get off the bed did Yami snap out of his trance and back up a few feet to allow the necessary room.

Smiling gently, Yuugi motioned for Yami to follow him down back to the living room, faintly wondering what Ryou and Malik had discovered from their own received items.

The answer was clear enough to Yuugi once he entered the room, eyes widening at the scene of a Malik doppelganger straddling his look-a-like's waist, holding a golden rod with a dagger connected to the end against Malik's throat.

* * *

Kkwy: Darkness in Egyptian

Khemet: Name of Ancient Egypt

3,000 years: I've decided to use this many years to describe how long ago the "Nameless Pharaoh" reign was. 5,000 years just seems a little bit odd for me, so I'm using the manga version.

R&R~


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: -headdesk- Oh gods, my brain has been officially fried. I don't know why, but this chapter was a total bitch to write. Probably because of all the translations... So, it took me a while to get this up. If anyone's confused, don't hesitate in asking me any questions.

**Great (Anonymous review): **I've been thinking a lot about this, but I've got most of their backstory in my head. Yami and Bakura aren't exactly Atemu and Akefia's lovers from the past. There's this whole, crazy, messed up reason, which I'm not going to reveal just yet. I've actually been thinking about writing a prequel telling this story after Circling is all up and finished. It'd be a tragedy, though, for obvious reasons...Any thoughts on whether or not I should do this?

Thanks to everyone else who has reviewed/followed/favorited this story.

Now that that's out of the way, I hope you enjoy this chapter~

* * *

Yuugi stood frozen in the doorway, mouth agape. The man seated on top of Malik's waist was practically Malik's twin. The only differences were that this man was taller, had a darker skin tone, his hair was spiking up in all kinds of directions, and his dark violet eyes were narrowed harshly, baring a slight tint of red in them. The look-a-like was taut, getting ready to slice the original Malik's jugular with that rod-dagger placed against his neck.

And Yuugi had thought Yami had been a little harsh.

A sudden pressure brushed past Yuugi and he rigidly watched as his own look-a-like stalked straight up to the almost murderer, yanking the blonde's hair in a non too friendly way. The man on top of Malik screeched, waving the dagger frantically at Yami, who easily dodged the wild blows.

"Mariku!" Yami growled, yanking the fellow's hair once more. "Ab!"

The man ceased his flailings and muttered something foreign under his breath. Apparently, though, Yami heard it and wasn't please, for he frowned deeply and tossed him onto the floor roughly.

This caused the man - Mariku - to burst. He stood and starting to shout into Yami's face and it was clear to the two others in the room that he was using some foul mouthed words.

While they argued in a dead language, Yuugi turned his attention to Malik. "Are you okay?" he asked in a hushed voice as to not draw unwanted attention. "He didn't hurt you, right?"

Malik shook his head, shifting into a sitting position. He warily eyed Mariku's angered form. "No, he just jumped me. It was strange, Yuugi. I was just looking over that rod he's got over there - it's the artifact _ane _gave me - and suddenly, some dark, weird, crazy stuff shot out of the eye symbol and - _BAM _- there was this guy...What was his name? Mariku? And who's he arguing with?"

Yuugi waved a dismissive hand. "I'll tell you later, but right now, I think we should-" His suggestion was interrupted by a loud _thump_ coming from the second floor. Yami and Mariku were still bickering, not aware that something had just frightened the living daylights out of their look-a-likes.

"We have to check on Ryou." Came Malik's hushed voice, swiftly rising. Yuugi nodded, gently leading the way to the stairs, careful not to get into the way of the two Egyptians. Once clear, they scrambled to the first door and knocked loudly, praying for an answer.

Around a minute passed before a relatively calm Ryou exited the room. Malik and Yuugi both breathed a quiet sigh of relief. "You alright?" Yuugi asked after the albino closed the door behind him. "We heard a thump and imagined the worst."

Ryou shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh, I'm fine, really." Something in his tone had the other two men on edge again. It was way too...cheerful. "I mean, a weird looking man had just popped out of the golden ring Ishizu gave me, and came onto me rather roughly, so I had to knock him out using one of the lamps. Other than that, I'm just peachy." He smiled apologetically at Malik. "Sorry about the lamp, by the way. It's kind of a mess in there, and that thing looked pretty valuable...I'd kindly pay you back and clean it once someone removes the man laying unconsciously on the floor."

Yuugi and Malik blinked slowly, processing Ryou's dialogue. Once it clicked, they gaped and Malik instantly ran into the room to inspect the damage, Yuugi trailing behind.

There, laying just like Ryou had described, was indeed a weird man. He was another look-a-like, this time of Ryou. Their hair was almost the same, save for the extra two horn-like locks placed atop his forehead. His skin was as ghostly as Yami's, angular features contorted in his unconscious pain. A golden ring with ringlets dangling from the sides was around his neck, the Eye of Horus staring at the ceiling from its snug place upon the ring's form. There was a bit of blood around the shards of glass surrounding the man's head, but no obvious wound was in sight.

As if alerted by an invisible trigger, the man's brown tinted red eyes snapped open to glare at both Malik and Yuugi, his gaze eventually trailing over to Ryou's barely visible form. A sly smirk made its way onto his face, but quickly dispersed once the shouting from downstairs became fairly obvious. Growling lowly, the man stood suddenly. The action made Ryou squeak in fear and the other two men flinch as if they were about to get hit. But who could blame them? This man radiated violence.

He stalked to the door, roughly pushing Ryou aside so he could pass. From the top of the stairs, he shouted, "gr, Kkwy, Mariku! Abi n Ab."

The shouts from below the floorboards instantly cut off at the words this man had yelled. Barely a moment later, both Yami and Mariku were bounding up the stairs.

"iTA." Yami spat, eyes ablaze. The next phrase was too fastly spoken for Yuugi to even begin to comprehend. It sounded like a question, though.

"xm. sy?" The white-haired man, apparently called iTA, answered. Yami turned his gaze towards Yuugi, and the smaller gulped at the intensity. The Egyptians suddenly switched to Japanese, probably noticing Yuugi, Ryou, and Malik's utter confusion.

"The one who looks like me is named Yuugi. He released me from the Sennen Box." Yami turned his gaze back to iTA. "That means you and Mariku are released as well until I seal us back, remember?"

iTA sighed deeply, turning his gaze to his own look-a-like. Mariku did the same, and soon enough, everyone was having a small showdown with their copies. Awkwardly, Yuugi raked his mind to come up with a way to get out of the hallway unscathed. And fortunately, one managed to pop up.

"Where's Ishizu? Yami says he knows her."

iTA and Mariku exchanged glances, then simultaneously turned to Yami. He was trying his hardest not to make eye contact with them. "'Yami'?" Mariku repeated, amusement clearly hanging onto his tone.

Yami waved him off. "Kkwy is too hard for Yuugi to say. He suggested the name." His gaze snapped over to iTA. "You better do the same. iTA is probably harder for them to pronounce."

"And what, oh Mighty One, do you suggest should I be called here?" iTA quickly snapped back, whipping his head around to do so properly.

Ryou cleared his throat, bringing all eyes to focus on his fragile form. "Uh, I've...I've always been fond of the name...Bakura." His cheeks dusted a slight pink at having attention for too long, ducking his head to hide it.

His Egyptian copy pursed his lips, head slowly nodding. "I guess Bakura could work." He shrugged. "Doesn't really matter, though, since we're only going to be here for a limited time anyways. For now, let's just go find Ishtar. She'll be better at explaining things."

And with that, they all gathered back down into the living room, a tense silence hovering over their heads. Thankfully, Ishizu was just in the kitchen, so they didn't have to wait long for her to show up.

"I take it you are all pretty confused." Ishizu spoke mostly to the modern day men, although some of her words applied to the Egyptians as well.

"You knew they were going to pop out at us and yet, you didn't give us a single word of warning to a potential heart attack! What's wrong with you, Nee-san?" Malik was quick to open his mouth and lash out at his older sister, something that Yuugi took as a good sign. It was when the man was quiet when something terrible was wrong.

Ishizu just shrugged, uncaring. "You wouldn't have believed me anyways." To that, they could all agree. She sat down on the couch, crossing her legs to add comfort. "Why don't we all take a seat? Then I'll begin."

Reluctantly, they all sat down. Yuugi found himself sharing another couch with Yami, while Mariku and Malik sat in nearby chairs. Bakura was sitting beside Ishizu, and Ryou was on the floor opposite to him. Yuugi noted that there was still plenty of room on the couch Ishizu and Bakura were inhabiting, but didn't bring it up. In actuality, he would've done the same thing.

The black-haired woman cleared his throat. "Now...where to begin?"

* * *

Ab: Stop in Egyptian.

gr, Kkwy, Mariku. Abi n Ab: Silence, Darkness, Mariku. I desire you to stop. (very rough translation)

iTA: Thief

xm. sy: I don't know. Who are they? (...guh)

Egyptian translations are probably incorrect, but I tried my best to search for the best ones I could find. If anyone knows of a good Ancient Egyptian translation site, please let me know.

Nee-san: Big Sister

Ishizu will explain almost everything next chapter, with the Egyptians adding their say a few times. I hope Yuugi, Malik, and Ryou's meetings with their darker halves pleased most of you.

R&R~


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Buh...My schedule is all out of whack these days. So, this means that updates will be growing longer apart. Plus, adding the mini writer's block I have with this story...Just…Buh

**Great (Anonymous review): **Castleshipping, huh? Well, I've thought about it and have come up with a few scenarios that would make sense, but overall, no, I haven't really decided on adding it in. We've already got Puppyshipping from the first chapter and adding Priest Seto wouldn't really help out the plot...Actually, it'd probably destroy another idea of mine. So, yeah. Don't think I'm going to add it.

As for the prequel, I've decided that I'm going to wait on this story to finish and then figure out if I want to make it. If I start it now, I'm afraid I might contradict myself with the facts. Thanks to **Great** and **Mana's Madness** for telling me what they think about this.

And always, thank you to everyone who has favorited/followed/reviewed, and all that jazz~

Now sit back and enjoy this new chapter of Circling.

_Blah = Flashback_

Blah = Normal

* * *

_Ishizu was watching the sun pass over its midpoint, slight perspiration dripping off her face. It had been one of the hotter days in Egypt, and on a day when they were scheduled to be out until the white orb was well on the horizon._

_It's for a good cause, Ishizu reminded herself somewhat bitterly. Yuugi Mutou had been a family friend since his first visit to Egypt with his grandfather. Despite the four year difference, the two of them became quite close. Eventually, Malik had shoved his way into their relationship as well, but neither minded...much._

_And now Ishizu was digging with her specially picked crew out in the middle of the desert, chasing a small rumor spread by the locals. With Yuugi hounding her for answers every time they spoke over the phone and the research she dug through every night, this 'Nameless Pharaoh' myth was beginning to become just that._

_A myth._

_Ishizu huffed, taking another sip of her canteen. The water was slightly warm, but brought the necessary relief anyways. She sat down a little ways away from her digging crew, the rock she was occupying shifting softly under her added weight. _

_After a few minutes, the twenty-five year old woman decided to continue with the search and got up. And she would've done just that if a small flash caught her attention. Turning sharply, she gazed upon the item that had sparkled in the sun's rays. _

_It was a piece of gold, greatly hidden by the sands. Reaching over, Ishizu gently brushed away some of the grains, her breathing hitched as soon as it was revealed._

_The day prior, Ishizu had come across a relatively intact carving of the Nameless Pharaoh, though his face had been worn away. He was clad in basic ruling attire, his right hand outstretched regally. What caught her eye was the interesting item placed conspicuously upon his chest._

_That image came clearly back to her as she gently picked up the heavy object. The simplistic designs carved into it, the large Eye of Horus placed on the front, and the slight clinking of other metal items inside. She had no doubt that this was what they were searching for._

_Another glint of gold drew her back to the sand, instantly spotting the other hidden object. After calling another one of her colleagues, Ishizu eventually held a golden ring and rod, the box not too far from her reach._

_Withholding the urge to open the box and uncover its contents, Ishizu told herself to wait until she was in private to succum to her childish joy._

_It still didn't mean that she could sit without fidgeting, the items never leaving her side._

_Ishizu took a deep breath. It had been roughly two hours since her incredible find, and she honestly couldn't hold back any longer. Shooing her younger brother out of the house so she could fully enjoy her discovery, the Egyptian woman locked herself into her study where everything else relating to the Nameless Pharaoh was being held._

_The box, ring, and rod were resting on the table placed in the middle of the small room. Sunlight bounced off their edges and made patterns on the opposite wall._

_It was time._

_With another deep breath, Ishizu calmly sat down in her personal chair, running a caramel colored hand over the box's smooth lid. Fingers found purchase on the edges, and they carefully pulled it off and onto the wood surface below._

_There was a moment of brief peacefulness and Ishizu was faintly aware of the cry of a hawk coming from nearby outside._

_However, it did not last. With a suddenness that would've given her a heart attack if she had been ten years older, black tendrils shot out of each item. The box's were coming from inside, while the other two's spat from their Eyes of Horus._

_Three flames were conjured up on the opposite side of the table, the temperature radiating off of each was below freezing. Ishizu watched, frightened beyond belief as the flames slowly faded, leaving behind three dark figures._

_She had no time to react as the middle figure - the one who had appeared from the golden box - came from around the table and pinned her to the wall. Cold, blazing violet eyes with the undertone of crimson glared down at her._

_He spoke in Ancient Egyptian, a language Ishizu had been taught at a young age because of her family's traditions._

"_Who are you?" The figure spat, the hands on her shoulders tightening as if in threat._

_Sputtering out of fear, Ishizu responded as best as she could. "I-I am Ishizu Ishtar, the eldest in my family. We have guarded the tombs of several Egyptian Pharaohs for generations. I...I mean you no harm."_

_The figure, a man who looked to be around the age of twenty-four, took a few minutes to process this. One of the other figure - the one from the ring - interrupted his thoughts._

"_She looks weak. Don't even bother with her." His voice was hard and with no emotion except for boredom. The figure next to him nodded his consent._

_The one who had grabbed her finally released Ishizu with a small scoff. "You have well intentions. I will not threaten you if you do not place our items back where you found them." There was a pregnant pause before he continued. "In fact, do not do so. Something tells me what you plan to do will help us. Just be warned this, woman. If you dare open the Sennen Box again without a reasonable cause, I will not hesitate to punish you."_

_The second figure shook with mirth. "Oh, yes. You will pay dearly for disobeying dear Kkwy." This earned him a pointed glower from the first figure._

_It was then that Ishizu noticed the similarities between them and a few others she knew lived in this life. The third, quiet one looked freakishly like her brother, except for the wilder hair atop his head. The second looked like a recent British apprentice of hers who had just completed his training. And the first…_

_Before she could make the connection, the men were enveloped in black flames once more, slowly leaking back into their respective items._

* * *

_Ishizu hung up her phone, hoping she was doing the right thing. Yuugi certainly sounded excited that she had finally found something that would help their search for answers, but she couldn't help thinking that this was potentially risking his life by handing the box over to him._

_Quickly formulating a plan, she reached over to grab her personal phone book, flipping through the pages before coming upon Ryou's name._

_As she listened to the phone ring, Ishizu stared worriedly at the Sennen Box, it's lid not been opened since the night prior._

* * *

Yuugi shifted, feeling those intense, violet/red eyes boring into the side of his face. He remained as emotionless as possible, even though Ishizu's story had shaken him.

Glancing at the other modernday men in the room, Yuugi came to the conclusion that they too were beyond confused. Malik was even showing a bit of irritation, a sign that he would soon blow up in his sister's face.

Bakura and Mariku were gazing boredly at Ishizu, not quite caring who thought what of them. Although, judging by their recent actions he saw, Yuugi couldn't find himself feeling surprised.

It was when he, albeit reluctantly, turned to Yami did Yuugi finally flinch under the other's gaze. It held so many emotions. Anger, sadness, confusion, anxiousness, and...guilt? Worry?

A sudden clap that came from the only female in the room made everyone jump in their seats. Ishizu was standing, quickly changing the subject before anyone - specifically Malik - starting to spout questions she or the darker look-a-likes were not willing to answer at that moment.

"Now, because I'm pretty sure...Yami and the others are not willing to go back into their items for the night, and it's too late for Yuugi and Ryou to go back to their hotels, let's organize sleeping arrangements. I will be in my room, Malik and Mariku will be in Malik's room, Ryou and Bakura will share the first guest room, and Yuugi and Yami will sleep in the second guest room. I'll be getting out the futons so-"

"What?!"

Ishizu winced at the loud voice belonging to her brother, but chose to ignore him for now. "...So you all don't have to share a bed. Goodnight!" And before Malik could really get a good grip on her, she scurried away and disappeared upstairs.

There was an awkward silence for a few, agonisingly painful moments before Bakura groaned. "I'm going to bed now, since I'm as tired as hell and I just want to get a goodnight's sleep. How long has it been? A few hundred years since I've slept out of that blasted ring? Yeah." He kept muttering as he stomped up the steps after Ishizu, Ryou quietly - looking quite pale - following behind him.

Malik practically did the same, uttering curses ranging from English, to Japanese, to Arabic, and even Spanish, a language he had begged his sister to let him learn. Mariku gave Yami a wink before following, a wide smirk on his face that sent cold shivers down Yuugi's spine.

Then there were two. Yuugi swallowed, sparing a glance at the lost in thought spirit...He was a spirit, right? After all, he did appear out of thin air like some like of genie and claimed to be from Khemet around 3,000 years ago.

Yep, definitely a spirit.

Yami soon caught Yuugi stare, the slightly indifferent and confused glance making the smaller's cheeks flush.

Tonight was going to be a long night.

* * *

Sorry for this being so late. Hopefully, I'll get the next chapter up sooner.

R&R~


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving! I've been meaning to hurry up and write this, but my parents had forbidden me from using the computer at all yesterday...

Anyways, less excuses, more new chapter, yeah?

Thanks to everyone who have reviewed/favorited/followed this story!

Enjoy this next chapter~

* * *

Yuugi sighed, exiting the bathroom. Not wanting to change into the borrowed pajamas Malik had thrown at him in front of the...'slightly' sexy spirit he was sharing a room with, the small man had instead decided to do it across the hall.

As he reentered the guest room, Yuugi was surprised to find Yami already tucked into the futon, hands placed behind his head, staring vacantly at the ceiling. Yuugi had thought there would be at least some discussion on who would sleep on the bed, but apparently, Yami decided to skip that part.

Not that Yuugi was complaining…

With a small mental curse, Yuugi realized as soon as those intense eyes focused on him that he was wearing a small flush. Trying to ignore him, Yuugi made his way towards the bed slowly, not wanting to trip on the futon's edges.

The bed made a small squeak as Yuugi settled down on it. He lay stiffly, shifting once and a while. The actions were futile in the least. There was no way Yuugi would be getting any sleep tonight.

After a few more minutes of uncomfortable silence, Yuugi finally gave up and turned towards Yami. The spirit was in the same position, deep in thought. There was a slight furrow in his brow, suggesting that whatever was on his mind was troubling in the least.

"Yami?" Yuugi murmured hesitantly. It took a few seconds for the other to recognize the word was his new name, but once he did, he was all ears. The strangely colored irises focused on the smaller as his body shifted to the right. He remained silent, though his eyes were questioning.

"I…" His voice died off unexpectedly, his throat becoming uncomfortably dry. It was a simple question he wanted to ask, but something told him he wouldn't get a straight answer. Not right away, at least.

Yami was patient, noticing the slight discomfort Yuugi had. Those gentle features confused Yuugi all the more, though he tried to ignore it.

"I...I just wanted to know…" He swallowed to wet his internal desert. "If...if you wanted to, but you don't have to...to tell me a little bit about...where you came from." There was a flash of an unrecognizable emotion on Yami's face, and Yuugi was quick to continue. "Though, you know, you don't have to. And...and certainly not right now...It's just, I am really fascinated by...uh, your old home and…" He trailed off, realizing he was rambling aimlessly.

The spirit continued to stare quietly at Yuugi, and the other did the same, even though his gaze unconsciously flittered between him and the room. Finally, after several tense moments, Yami spoke.

"I will think about your offer." A small pause. "I've never really been out of the Sennen Box for very long, so I'm afraid that if I start, the story will remain incomplete." There was another reason, and Yuugi sensed it immediately. He didn't pry, however, knowing that this topic was not a favorite at the moment. Instead, he just nodded and turned to face the wall, letting out a silent sigh.

It was a while longer, but Yuugi eventually felt his eyelids droop, slowly falling back into the darkness of sleep.

* * *

Yuugi walked along the pathway, watching the shadows curl around him. Sometimes, the tentacles would reach out and almost touch his shoulder, but they'd never get too far until something made them flinch as if burned, fading away quickly.

Something was off. A feeling that made Yuugi's back itch and hairs raise in alert. He glanced behind him and to the sides, but all he saw were shadows.

Was he being followed? A snapping sound came from his left, and his body twitched in surprise. With another look around, Yuugi concluded that there was still no one there.

Officially creeped out, the young man gulped and increased his pace, his eyes nervously flicking this way and that. The feeling he had slowly became ever more present, and his nerves were at an all time high. Every sound, no matter the volume, made him jump. A cold breeze tickled his neck, causing a slight shiver of discomfort and fear.

He felt a sudden presence following him then, and he started to run. His breath came out in sharp pants and his lungs began to freeze. The temperature was dropping, footsteps were sounding from behind, and warm air was breathing down his neck. Tears pricked his eyesight once he realized that the pathway was getting thinner and thinner. The shadows around were becoming restless, lashing out in random directions.

Gasping for air, a deep growl came from his immediate left, and he ducked just in time for a dark shape to fly overhead. It disappeared quickly back into the shadows, but that did nothing to calm Yuugi's fears.

His pace was slowing without his consent, and no matter how much he forced his legs to go faster, they instead decreased speed as if they were trapped in sticky mud. He willed himself to not look behind him, where he heard those footsteps come closer and closer to his slowing body. They were loud and clucked heavily. The image of army boots came to mind, before the pathway came to an abrupt halt.

Not wanting to skid into the dark shadows that growled in hunger, Yuugi had to swiftly rotate his body, which made him face the quickly approaching enemy.

Darkness completely overcame his vision, but the sounds never ceased. In fact, they seemed to increase even more, vibrating inside Yuugi's fear stricken body.

"Yuugi…"

The voice was distant and held a kind of safety. Blindly, he mentally reached for it.

"Yuugi…"

The steps were too loud, almost drowning out the voice. Yuugi suddenly felt the ground shift below him, and the sensation of falling entered his paralyzed mind. His mouth opened in a silent scream, arms thrashing in a weak attempt to grab a hold of something, to stop the most likely deadly fall.

"Yuugi...Yuugi…Yuugi!"

Just as he sensed the ground rushing up to meet his back and the voice reaching it's full volume, dark crimson eyes snapped open and an evil, bone chilling smirk flashed into view. A new voice leaned in and whispered hoarsely into his ear…

"The shadows will consume your soul, mortal."

And with that, Yuugi plummeted straight to his untimely death.

"Yuugi!"

* * *

Yuugi awoke with an ear piercing screech, his body instantly throwing itself into a sitting position. He was doused in a cold sweat, his hands shakingly gripping the covers. His throat was sore, like he had been screaming for a while.

"Yuugi?"

The voice came from his left, sounding confused and slightly frightened. He turned to see Yami kneeling by his bed, his hands reaching out in a universal 'calm down' gesture. His violet tinted red gaze was clouded in concern and worry, and in any other situation, Yuugi would've been humbled to see it directed at him.

But this was not one of those situations.

"Are you alright?" Yami whispered quietly, the fear of setting off the smaller highly showing.

Yuugi swallowed back the bile rising up, and he felt a wetness slide down his face. His shoulders shook in suppressed sobs and he barely choked out a broken "No."

A cautious hand rested on Yuugi's shoulder, and his gaze lifted again to meet with those strange, and yet comforting, eyes. The spirit worried at his lower lip, and he shifted to sit beside the scarred younger. "Do…" His throat noticeably bobbed in a thick swallow. "Do you want to talk about it?"

The images suddenly flashed back into his mind's eye. The shadows, the running, the footsteps, the fear, the voice…

And Yuugi suddenly didn't want to be alone. He never wanted to feel that cold, clammy fear gripping his rapidly beating heart ever again. And the only solution his mind could think of was to latch onto Yami's waist and never let go. Which was exactly what he did.

Yami made a small grunting noise as Yuugi flung his sobbing body into him. The spirit sat there for around a minute, unsure about how to process the foreign contact. Eventually, though, his arms slowly slid across Yuugi's back and resting atop the smaller's spine in an awkward hug.

Yuugi's cries, although muffled by Yami's shirt - Yuugi vaguely registered that it was the same shirt he had worn when coming out of the Sennen Box - were loud and full of anguish. He felt Yami's arms tighten momentarily around his back, before pale fingers lightly danced across Yuugi's pajama shirt in small patterns. The actions were soothing, and Yuugi found himself slowly calming down.

The smaller felt the spirit rock softly back and forth. A softer voice whispering almost incoherent comfortings quietly came from above his head. Yami sounded distant, and Yuugi sensed his mood to be nostalgic. Why that was so was a mystery Yuugi didn't want to begin to crack, so he accepted the gestures without complaint.

The nightmare was fading from his mind, as was his coherent train of thought. And even though deep down he knew that this was a total stranger who had shown obvious danger and that he shouldn't even be near him until his motives were fully uncovered, Yuugi found himself uncaring to it all. Because he felt safe and sheltered in Yami's holdings.

His last thought was that he wanted to stay this way for as long as he lived.

* * *

Oh, gods...I didn't think that would end up being so fluffy (with a side of cheese). Did this make up for the late updating…?

…Eheh, yeah…

Hopefully I'll be able to get chapter 7 up sooner...But I can't promise anything :x

R&R~


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Alright. Little earlier than previous chapters, so...yay? Should be able to get faster updates soon.

Thanks to everyone who has favorited/reviewed/followed this story!

Enjoy~

* * *

Yuugi blinked back the blur of sleep. Muted light seeped through a shaded window, but it still seemed too bright.

What time was it?

With a soft groan, eyes slitted, Yuugi rolled over to glance at the digital clock. However, something solid and white was blocking his way. Still a bit foggy, Yuugi mulled over what this something was, and the faint scent of sweet pomegranate began to spark some kind of familiarity.

It wasn't until this something shifted and violet/red eyes came into view did Yuugi click the pieces together.

Yami just blinked at him when Yuugi gave out an unmanly squeak, practically throwing the covers off to cower near the wall in fright. Slowly, a small amused smirk came to the spirit's face, a low chuckle vibrating in his throat.

It ticked Yuugi off.

"What the hell?!" he burst, still clutching the bedsheets. "You nearly gave me a heart attack!" Trying to ignore the fact that deep down, he liked the close contact, Yuugi roughly brushed past the other to stand by the dresser and straightened his disarrayed clothing. "What were you doing that close to me? Your futon's on the floor."

Yami didn't answer and instead chose to sit on the bed, watching Yuugi wave a hand through his hair while looking into the mirror. It took several seconds for the smaller to come up with a (slightly creepy) reason.

"You weren't…" How to say this? Yuugi cleared his throat and tried again. "You weren't...you know...watching me sleep, were you?" When not receiving an answer right away, Yuugi whirled around to see Yami fiddling with the blanket, his eyes downcast. And...was there a subtle blush on those cheeks of his?

"Wait…" Yuugi's eyes narrowed in acquisition. "You _did_ watch me sleep?" Yami remained wisely silent. The smaller twitched, then stomped over to the bedside, not caring if anyone else heard him.

"Why the _hell_ did you watch me sleep?!" Yuugi screeched, glaring daggers into Yami's skull. "I mean...Just...WHAT?" He waved his arms dramatically, his face tinting a bright red.

Yami made a small noise, which Yuugi guessed to be clearing out his throat. Soon enough, he spoke. "jw=j Hr ianw…"

Yuugi blinked. "...What?" His tone was a little softer, but still had a hard edge that made Yami cringe in response. Sighing, the spirit reluctantly repeated, this time in Japanese.

"I am sorry."

There was a tense silence after that, where Yami continued to fiddle with the cloth and Yuugi just stood and watched. It was when Yami's gaze hesitantly glanced up and met with Yuugi's did either begin to move again.

"Let's go get some breakfast…" Yuugi mumbled as he turned to leave the room, a part of him still ticked off at the other for doing something so…

He sighed once he heard soft footsteps quietly following his descent down the stairs.

* * *

Malik was the only one present at the time, munching on the last of his cereal. He pointed to the cabinet which held the said food once he spotted the tri-colored haired duo entering the kitchen from his place in the connected dining room.

Yami followed Yuugi like a lost puppy, barely looking up from his toes. Yuugi felt a bit bad at making him this way, but he couldn't help it if the spirit was so bipolar.

"Where's...uh, Mariku?" Yuugi asked once pouring the milk over the colorful, sugary, artificial clumps. Malik paused in draining the liquid from his own bowl, setting it down to reveal a white mustache.

"Hm...I made him sleep on the couch, 'cause he was all touchy touchy, y'know?" Malik shrugged nonchalantly, moving past the other two to dump his dish into the sink for someone else to clean up. He dragged his wrist across his upper lip, effectively shaving the milk mustache. "I think he's still sleeping...Though Ryou came down here pretty early, like, six or something, and went out for a walk. Hasn't come back yet, but neither would I if I had someone like, uh, Bakura sleeping in my bed."

Yuugi snorted, spooning some cereal into his mouth. As he was crunching, he watched Yami poke at his own bowl - which Yuugi had to pour for him because he didn't want the inexperienced spirit to make a mess.

"What time is it anyways?" Yuugi asked, taking another bite. He didn't want to be in the Ishtar house for too long, since he still had his hotel to go to and change into a new pair of clothes.

"Uh, 'round nine, I think." Malik answered, sitting back down at the table, sensing the slight tension between the two.

Nodding while shooting a glance at his doppelganger, Yuugi mulled over the idea of bringing him back with him. Though, they had to get him some new clothes, since those Egyptian ones would definitely draw unwanted attention and unprepared explanations. Then there were sleeping arrangements. The hotel room had only one double bed, with a pretty small couch…

"Tn Hr fn?" Bakura's gruff voice interrupted their thoughts, his appearance looking anything but fully slept.

"jw=f Hr swtwt.t" Yami mumbled in response, finally tasting the cereal. His nose scrunched the tiniest of bits, but continued eating nonetheless.

Bakura grumbled something incoherent under his breath, stalking towards the living room with the obvious intention of breaking someone or something. Malik noticed and rushed after him, not wanting his sister on his ass all day about a broken pot.

That left both Yami and Yuugi in an awkward silence. The only sounds were the clinking of the metal spoons against glass bowls.

Neither mentioned last night, nor the events coming after it. By this time, Yuugi had fully acquired the knowledge of his frightening nightmare, also regaining the memory of Yami's sturdy body pressed against his in reassurance.

Swallowing a little too forcefully, Yuugi tried to think of something else once the feeling of being a little too hot came over him. Greedily, he downed the milk in a few gulps and stood to put it away. Automatically, he washed both his bowl and Malik's, his mind wandering elsewhere.

Yami was quiet, sipping the leftover milk without any rude slurps. There were sounds of muffled talking coming from the other room, and Yuugi guessed it was Malik and Bakura, with possibly Ishizu and Mariku in the mix.

Just as he finished washing up, the front door opened and Ryou slipped into the kitchen, smartly bypassing the living room. "Hey, Yuugi…Yami" he greeted softly, sparing a polite nod at Yami, who returned the gesture.

"Where were you? Malik said you left at six." Yuugi asked, sitting across from Yami to chat with his new friend. Or, at least, he thought Ryou considered him a friend.

The albino shrugged, fumbling with the edge of his loose shirt. "Just went for a walk around the neighborhood…"

"For three hours?"

Yami looked up, spinning his spoon around between his pointer and thumb.

"Uh, yeah. I mean, I was looking at the surroundings...Stopping to smell the roses, you know?"

"Roses?" Yami spoke up. "I did not know there were wild roses around here. It doesn't seem like the season for them to be growing…"

"It's an expression." Yuugi quickly explained, gently taking Yami's dishes. His hands were itching to do something.

"Yeah, Yami. It means that I took my time and enjoyed the world around me."

"Oh." Yami slumped back in his chair, his gaze wandering to Yuugi's form by the sink. Yuugi tried to ignore that feeling of being watched, reminding him of his nightmare unintentionally.

He cleared his throat to gather attention. "So, Yami...How long are you, Mariku, and Bakura planning to stay here? I mean, you went back into the items after five minutes when Ishizu released you. Is there a time limit, or…?"

Yami sighed, turning his head to watch the morning activities of modern day Egypt. "I am not sure. Usually, I sense the Sennen Box calling me back. That is usually soon after being released, though there are exceptions. I'm not sure how long we'll be here…"

Yuugi hummed softly, drying the bowl. After putting it away with the others, he flopped back down in the chair. "I was thinking about going back to my hotel - that's a place I'm staying at while I'm here, since I actually live in a country called Japan. Maybe…maybe you could come with, since Ishizu seems to want to pair the look-a-likes together…"

The spirit was about to answer when Bakura suddenly stomped back in, his hard gaze locking onto Ryou. The Brit gulped and booked it, running at a pretty impressive speed to escape Bakura's wrath.

"Hey, get back here! I just want to know where the hell you went!" Bakura yelled as he gave chase, leaving Yami and Yuugi to wonder why he would even care at all.

"Yeah, I'd love to come with you, Yuugi." Yami finally answered after the sounds of running died down. Yuugi beamed, and was going to say thanks for his actions last night, but Ishizu's loud shout interrupted them once more.

"Get away from the valuables, you two!" They could only guess which two she was talking about.

Yuugi chuckled. "Let's go while we can, yeah?"

* * *

Heh...I made Yami smell like fruit, 'cause a fruity Yami is the best Yami ;D

Translations:

jw=j Hr ianw: I am sorrowful (a.k.a I'm sorry)

Tn Hr fn: Where is the weakling?

jw=f Hr swtwt.t: He is walking.

Hope that's right, since I found a better translator website, though feel free to correct me.

I get the feeling that this is more of a humorous fic than dramatic, but then again, I know the real drama truck will arrive as soon as Atemu and Akefia do, which will be...in a while (still not sure if they should come before or after Yuugi returns to Japan). Let's just hope my mind won't let it crash on the way…

R&R~


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Another chapter up and done.

**Yamifreak: **I've actually been using two sites for Ancient Egyptian translations. One is a list of words and the other is some basic grammar. Since I can't put the links in here, I put them on my profile, so you can go check them out. They're pretty helpful. Oh, and thanks for being my 25th reviewer!

**Guest (Anonymous review):**_Why_ would Yuugi be so upset that Yami had been watching him sleep? Well, Yami is a complete stranger at this point of the story. Plus, he's a spirit from the Sennen Box who randomly popped out and scared the shit (pardon my language) out of little Yuugi. And, I don't know about you, but I wouldn't want a stranger danger spirit watching me dream at night, no matter how sexy he is...Eheh, yeah…

Special shoutout to my 25th follower, **Vici12365**!

Thanks to everyone else who have reviewed/favorited/followed this story! Your support makes writing a little easier.

And without further ado, here's number eight of Circling~

* * *

Yuugi sighed, searching through Malik's drawer. So far, he had seen nothing that appealed to him. Shrunken shirts, tight pants, a whole, messy drawer saved entirely for accessories…

It was clear to him that he would have to wear his own dirty pair of clothes rather than parade in any of Malik's trash.

Nibbling his lip, Yuugi looked at Yami from the corners of his eyes. The spirit hadn't said much since breakfast. Upon arriving in Malik's room (they had to sneak past the blond, who was busy getting an earful from Ishizu, to get in without being seen), Yami had instantly sat on the bed, conjuring up dark shadows from his hands. Almost panicking, Yuugi opened his mouth to stop him when the shadows suddenly disappeared. In its place was the one and only Sennen Box.

"How…?"

"Shadow magic." Yami replied as if it was the simplest answer in the world.

"Oh."

He'd been petting the golden item ever since.

"You're going to have to wear that for a few more hours until I can give you some of my clothes…" Yuugi gestured to Yami's ancient attire. "I wonder if any will fit you…"

He closed the drawers and went over to the still messy bed from Malik's sleeping. Settling down a few inches apart from Yami, Yuugi rested his head in his hand, leaning on his elbow.

Yami, as if just realizing Yuugi was still in the room, flinched as the bed dipped in the added weight. Blinking owlishly, he glanced from the smaller to the box in his hands and back again. Watching him continue the cycle made Yuugi a bit dizzy.

"What?" Yuugi finally asked, trying to get his annoyance out of his voice.

The spirit blinked again, his gaze lingering on Yuugi before his hands seemed to move on their own accord. Before he could protest or ask the one worded question again, the Sennen Box was resting in his own hands. It felt warm from Yami's grip.

In a sort of deja vu manor, Yuugi reenacted Yami's previous actions; glancing from the box to the spirit and blinking owlishly. However, Yami didn't seem to be getting annoyed like Yuugi had.

Finally getting over this random event, Yuugi cleared his throat. "Uh, why...did you give me the box?" He was half hoping that the other had made a mistake and hadn't meant to give Yuugi the one possession that seemed to calm and sooth him.

Come to think of it, Yuugi did like seeing that look of peace and serenity written on Yami's face whenever he stroked the metal. The thought of not seeing it again almost made the young man give it back…

Almost.

"It is calling out for you." Yami answered quietly after a few moments of gauging Yuugi's reaction. "It wants you to complete it."

"Complete it?" Yuugi repeated, turning his attention back to the Sennen Box. It looked completed to him.

"Not the Sennen Box..." Yami hesitantly reached over and lifted the lid. Instead of the black tendrils Yuugi expected to pop out once more, a twinkling light blinked at him. Sitting inside the box illuminated by a ray of sunlight leaking through the curtains were a multitude of golden pieces, each having a different, angular shape to it. Unique, unknown patterns lined the surfaces, making the light reflect to the wall with a strange, almost artistic flare.

"The Sennen Puzzle."

The words rang ominously in Yuugi's ear, and he gulped past the lump starting to form. Why was this having such an affect on him? It was only a three dimensional puzzle, like the ones his grandfather had given him. Like the ones he'd try to complete in class while everyone else was talking to their friends…

"It wants me to…" Yuugi swallowed. "To complete it? Why me?"

Yami gave a roll of his shoulders. "I am not sure, but I will not go against its wishes." Yuugi found the humor to muse over the fact that he was talking like the item was alive. "All I know is...is you need to complete it."

The reasonings seemed fishy, and Yuugi found himself not wanting to believe something as inanimate as a puzzle could 'call' to anyone. So, instead, he thought of it as a peace offering for the time Yami nearly choked him to death.

Needless to say, it was the best gift anyone had given to him in a long while.

With a goofy grin he hadn't worn since his sixteenth birthday, Yuugi sincerely thanked the spirit.

A loud yell interrupted Yami's reply, and Yuugi could hear loud, angered footsteps approaching the room they were in. Bilingual curses confirmed Yuugi's fears.

"Okay, time to go." Yuugi hurriedly said, stuffing the lid back on and putting it to his side. He gripped Yami's wrist somewhat roughly and half dragged him to the door, opening it to see Malik's fuming face. It got redder at once he realized someone had been in his room without permission - a feat that was clearly prohibited in Malik's eyes.

Yuugi smiled nervously, quickly brushing by before the emotionally unstable blond exploded. The two tri-colored haired men heard a cut off screech as they escaped into their guest room, the door effectively preventing the two's eardrums from bursting.

They sat down on the bed and Yuugi mulled over a way to get changed out of the borrowed pajamas and into the clothes he wore the previous day. He'd get a new pair once he was back at the hotel.

Going back out there to the bathroom across the hall was out of the question. Malik was likely kicking the wall until a permanent hole formed, and Yuugi wanted to stay as far away from that as possible.

"Yami."

Said spirit turned to him, gazing steadily into Yuugi's eyes. A faint blush came to the smaller's face as he cleared his throat. "Uh, I need to get dressed…" Yami blinked. "And...I need privacy…"

"Why?" Came the instant question. It was so quick, Yuugi had to double take at the other's calm and questioning features.

He chose to ignore it.

"So I need you to, uh, turn around and give me privacy." When he saw Yami opening his mouth to protest, Yuugi was quick to add, "Or else I'll kick you out of the room and into Malik's rage filled grasp."

That shut him up. Smirking, Yuugi pointed to the farthest corner. There were foreign grumbles as quiet complaints, but Yami complied nonetheless. His back faced Yuugi and even covered his eyes with his hands.

Yuugi still dressed as quickly as humanly possible.

* * *

"Get in the taxi, Yami."

"No."

"Come on, it's not going to bite you."

"It smells weird."

"I don't care. I don't have a car and Ishizu's already driving Ryou and Bakura to his hotel across town."

"...I really have to?"

"Yes. There's no other way."

"..."

"Don't make me push you in."

"Alright, alright! I'm in…"

"That wasn't so hard, now was it?"

"...My seat is wet."

* * *

That last part was more or less an added section to get more words (even though it was still pretty short in the end). But, hey, it was cute, yeah? A little gift for all you Puzzleshipping fans for actually liking this story…?

I'll make sure the next chapter is longer.

Ah, before I forget to mention, I've found a cover for this fic while surfing the interwebs for Blindshipping fluff. I find that it fits Circling to a T.

R&R~


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Because I feel updates have been pretty random and weird, I've come up with a schedule for this story. From now on, every new chapter will be posted on Monday and Friday afternoons.

**Guest (Anonymous review): **Yeah, the characters in this story are pretty OOC. I didn't mean to make Yuugi so "pushy", he just kind of came out that way, I guess. However, I did want to make Yami the shy, assertive one. My reasonings were because of his past, which will be revealed sometime soon. Plus, he had been stuck in the Sennen Box, which in this story, is entirely different from the Puzzle. If he was in the Puzzle, he'd be in a coma-like state. However, since he's a guardian of the Puzzle and is in the Box instead, Yami is awake for every moment inside. In my mind, I imagine images of past hardships of his life before being sealed showing like a movie. So, I made Yami shy because he is pretty broken on the inside from reliving these moments (and I've always liked a shy Yami). This would also explain his kind of random mood swings (from angry and aggressive to quiet and assertive). Thanks for pointing this out. Oh, and the taxi seat? Well, I meant it to be open ended, but if you want an answer, then it's probably either some kind of juice or someone else's buttsweat (yuk).

Whew, that was kind of long winded…

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed/favorited/followed!

Now on to the next chapter. Enjoy~

* * *

Yuugi tapped his foot as he listened to the phone on the other side ringing. Glancing at the clock, he guessed it to be around five o'clock in Japan, which meant his grandfather should be near the phone.

On the third ring, a cheerful voice answered. "Hello, Kame Game Shop."

"Jii-chan. It's me."

"Ah! Yuugi! You didn't call me last night. Had me worried you'd forgotten. Did Ishizu show you what she found yet?"

The young man nibbled his lower lip. Yami was currently in the bathroom, changing into some of Yuugi's clothes that were a bit too big for him. The spirit had complained about how the fabric felt weird and how it was too tight and all that crap. Having enough of a headache already, Yuugi gave up and snapped at him to hurry up and get changed so they could buy some clothes that actually fit.

It was after storming to his room did Yuugi guilty remembered not calling to Sugoroku even though he had more or less promised to do so. So, after quickly digging through his stuff, trying to find the phone, Yuugi had immediately called his grandfather.

"Uh, yeah. She did." Yuugi frantically scoured his brain to find a possible way to explain what had happened since hanging up yesterday morning.

"Well? Did it help you find any answers?"

Yuugi chuckled dryly. "More than you could imagine, Jii-chan."

"Oh, really now? Sounds wonderful! You'll be coming back home and helping me with the shop in a few days, correct?"

"Yeah, though it may take a little longer than I had expected." Yuugi wandered over to the window and watched the people below entering and exiting the hotel. "Probably have to push back my return date a few days. This discovery is very important to the Nameless Pharaoh mystery, and I think it'd be best if I stayed to gather as much information needed."

There were some shuffling sounds from the other end. "...I understand." Came the slightly disappointed answer. His tone cheered up as he continued. "This is very important to you, I can tell. If it helps you get closer to solving the mystery, then I will gladly wait a few more days before seeing my wonderful grandson again. How much longer do you plan to stay?"

"Probably three more days, so I should be back around next Monday, Tuesday if I'm delayed further. Sorry about the shop, Jii-chan. You should hire Jou to come help. He'd love to do it for free or minimum wage."

"Oh, don't you worry about me, I'll be fine. Knowing Jounouchi, he'd probably pay _me_ for helping."

The two snickered softly before saying their goodbyes.

After hanging up, Yuugi turned to go check on Yami, but was surprised to see him already there, leaning against the doorframe and watching him with calculating eyes. Yuugi wondered how much he'd heard.

"Nameless Pharaoh mystery?"

Apparently, he'd heard enough.

"Uh, yeah. It's a mystery...surrounding a pharaoh...whose nameless…" Yuugi hated dumbing it down like so, but if the Nameless Pharaoh was indeed the pharaoh reigning at the time Yami was around, and if he heard of what had become of his (hopefully) beloved monarch, Yuugi was afraid of how he'd react.

Yami narrowed his eyes suspiciously, as if knowing there was more to the story, but dropped it anyways. He pushed himself from the doorway by applying pressure to it from his hip, drawing Yuugi's attention unwillingly southward. A faint flush came to his face once he realized what exact area he was staring at, clearing his throat while tearing his gaze to the window once more.

"Shall we go to this...mall you were talking about earlier?"

Yuugi blinked, glancing back at the spirit. "Oh, yeah. Right, new clothes for you." He rotated himself a hundred-eighty degrees to grab the keys to the car he had rented on their way to the hotel. Yuugi didn't want to go through another taxi incident with Yami ever again, especially after they'd been kicked off after Yami had accidentally broke a window. How, the college graduate would never know.

He found out that Yami was more willing to take the rental car, but still moaned about his stomach being queasy. Yuugi did his best to ignore it, concentrating on the ten minute car ride instead.

After dragging the spirit out of the car - he was a bit dazed from Yuugi's...interesting driving habits - Yuugi eagerly entered the first men's clothing store. Yami just gazed at the pickings with slight boredom and annoyance.

"Why are they all so colorful? And what's with the fabric?"

Yuugi sighed. "Clothing is different today than it was from your time." His reply was dull, his hand waving loosely and his shoulders rolling in a shrug.

They ended up visiting five stores before anything caught Yami's attention. Yuugi watched in bewilderment as the 3,000 year old spirit excitedly skimmed through the pickings at a store called "The Black Diamond," which was filled with black...everything. Shirts, pants, chokers, bracelets, necklaces, boots, gloves, earrings, and anything else you could put on your body as an accessory. They even had a leather section towards the back.

Which was the section Yami was currently flipping through, a childish gleam in those strange irises.

"You think this would look good?" Yami answered absentmindedly, briefly showing Yuugi a pair of black leather pants. Before he could answer, Yami shoved it into the other's arms and continued onward, going back to the shirts.

Yuugi groaned, reluctantly following behind as his own excitement drained away. He couldn't help but be reminded of the times his old friend Anzu had dragged him around the mall, chatting up a storm that could flatten the entire country of Egypt.

* * *

It was two hours later, and Yuugi's hands were full of bags filled with different styles of black clothing. There was the occasional color mixed in, but it was mostly a dark ebony mess.

Yami only held one bag, in which contained his favorite items he had managed to find. The items were pretty expensive, but Yami wouldn't stop bugging Yuugi, so the smaller ended up buying all of it.

It goes without saying that Yuugi's wallet was in serious need of food.

So did their stomachs, which growled loudly enough for both to hear. They shared a glanced before Yuugi sighed and guided them to the foodcourt, not so excited about spending even more money on expensive fast food restaurants, but the want to never hear Yami whine again was too high for Yuugi to ignore.

Yuugi ordered two hamburgers, two sodas, and a large fry from the cheapest place he could find before sitting himself down on the table.

Yuugi dug right on in, happily taking a bite from his still favorite food, his love of the stuff never having ceased since he was seven. Yami, however, was more hesitant. He treated the food like it was a living pile of mush, poking it with a plastic fork. Yuugi was sipping his soda when he noticed.

"Hey," Yuugi swallowed the sweet liquid that tingled his throat, "you gonna eat that? 'Cause it's getting cold, and I did spend a pretty penny on it for you. There'll be no wasting on my watch."

Yami frowned, picking the hamburger up. A drop of ketchup dripping onto the table, and Yami's nose wrinkled slightly. However, he nonetheless lifted it to his mouth and took a small bite, chewing slowly, contemplating. After swallowing - his face not showing any emotion - he tried a french fry. After that, he sipped his soda.

He almost gagged in surprise. "My throat's tingling." He turned to Yuugi for an answer, who shrugged nonchalantly.

"Yeah, it does that. Tastes good, right?"

Yami didn't respond verbally, but his answer was a clear yes as he took the straw back into his lips. Yuugi chuckled, stealing another fry.

Maybe this wasn't such a bad day after all.

* * *

This was more or less a filler chapter, but next one will get back to the main plot.

The Black Diamond is a fictional store, unless it actually is a real one, in which I do not own it. It just seems like a cool name for a goth/emo type store…

Heh, little shopping adventure for them, 'cause a story like this can't go without one.

I mentioned Anzu briefly in here, and I'm wondering if I should add her in and try to but into our Mobiumshipping party. Right now, she's in NY and pretty popular dancer, which boosts her ego stats to Above-Kaiba Level (which is pretty damn high). So, you think I should add her? Yay or Nay? Doesn't really matter to me, since my original plot wouldn't get changed too much if she was added.

Anyways, I guess that's it for now. Next chapter will be coming up Monday.

R&R~


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Like I promised, the next chapter is up. Big number ten. Although, judging by how slow this story seems to be going, I wouldn't be surprised if we passed twenty.

**Guest (Anonymous review): **Ah, damn. Did I really do that? I'm so sorry! You see, I was trying to describe the type of clothing that store sold, not describing the people who shop there (if that makes any sense). I didn't mean to call anyone who wears black and/or leather an emo/goth, and I apologize immensely to anyone who felt offended. Sorry for sounding so rude and stereotypical, and I hope you all keep reading despite my obvious mistakes :x

As for adding Anzu in, I have decided she will in fact come in later (after Atemu arrives). And, taking in the request of **Mana's Madness**, I will try not to bash her too hard. I'll only make her very flirty (with a hint of annoyance), but she'll be really close friends with Yuugi and help with this evil plot I have in mind (-evil cackle-).

And now, on to Chapter 10, enjoy~

* * *

Yuugi amusingly watched as Yami fiddled with the TV remote. There had moments when the spirit had gotten so frustrated as he accidentally turned the channel instead of increasing the volume, Yuugi would have to yank away the remote and force Yami to take a break to keep his temper from possibly destroying the hotel room.

Now, though, Yami seemed to be getting the hang of it. He surfed the channels with a bored gaze, and it was easy enough it tell he was not as excited about the TV as he was when he first found out about it. Yuugi wondered briefly if that was how everyone reacted once they grew out of kid shows and into boring news stories and repeats.

They had recently eaten dinner, which was some frozen pizza Yuugi had picked up on their way out of the mall earlier that day. It was good enough, even though it was slightly burnt when Yami forgot to tell Yuugi - who was in bedroom, searching for something that would suit as an extra bed since the couch was too small and hard for anyone to sleep on - that the timer was going off. Instead, the spirit had been entranced with a commercial claiming to have the best cooking supplies there were on the market.

In Yami's defense, there were a lot of explosions.

The constant flipping of channels eventually made Yuugi's eyes hurt, so he stood and went to find more entertaining things to do. The movement caught Yami's fleeting attention, and the smaller soon heard footsteps following.

"I couldn't really find any futons or anything that you" - They both knew Yami wouldn't allow Yuugi to sleep on anything other than a bed, for reasons unknown to the smaller - "could sleep on tonight, so you could either try to sleep on that puny couch, or…" He left the question open ended as a sudden flush took on his face.

Yami gave a thoughtful hum, and Yuugi plopped down on the bed. It was decent size, and could easily fit two people. Tonight was suppose to drop down in temperatures, and the sheets worked well to keep the warmth inside.

Yuugi was just worried about the added warmth that came with sleeping next to a near stranger. However, he could argue that the two had some nice bonding while out and about, so Yami wouldn't really be considered a stranger, right? An acquaintance, perhaps, but it still seemed weird to Yuugi.

The contemplating thoughts gave him a small headache.

"I will sleep on the couch." Yami spoke suddenly, gathering up a small pillow and blanket from the corner of the bed. The statement made Yuugi frown.

"The couch is pretty hard and cold. Plus, it's too small for you." He cleared his throat to choke out the rest. "Besides, I...wouldn't really mind if we shared a bed." His gaze adverted to check out the corner, finding it very fascinating.

It was quiet for a brief moment before Yami spoke again. "...If you insist." Yuugi could hear the smirk in his voice, and it made his face turn darker. He tilted it lower to find his shoes.

"...I do."

* * *

It was an hour later, and Yuugi was gently holding the Sennen Box, which contained the object of Yami's true affections, the Sennen Puzzle. He had asked the spirit why he was guarding the Puzzle, but all he had gotten in return was a nonchalant shrug. There were unrecognizable emotions Yuugi had caught in his gaze, but, like most of the subjects surrounding Yami's past, he let it drop, not knowing when it would get picked back up again.

"So," Yuugi murmured to Yami, who was sitting crossed legged on the bed. "I have to complete the Sennen Puzzle for a reason you don't know, or won't tell me." It was said more as a hidden question than a statement, but Yami just nodded in response.

Sighing, Yuugi chose to just get started. He lifted the lid and looked down at the golden pieces. He knew it would take him a while to finish, since the last three dimensional puzzle he had put together was done in around a week, and he could tell this one had more pieces.

He set them out around the table he sat at, trying to figure out just by looking at them what the shape would turn out to be. After every piece was out, he still didn't have the faintest clue. He turned to Yami.

"Do you know what it's suppose to be? Like, a cube, or something?"

Yami blinked slowly, his eyes losing focus to what Yuugi assumed were memories. He eventually shook his head no. "I was not allowed to see it. Only the royal family could lay eyes on it." There was something in his tone that made Yuugi twitch. He ignored it.

"Alright, I guess I'll just try to figure it out on my own, right?" As he was murmuring, Yuugi's hands drifted to the first two pieces, fumbling with them as he tried to figure out how they connected. He could feel Yami's forlorn gaze watching from his right.

It was around five minutes later when they heard a faint _click_. Yuugi made a small triumphant noise and went to fiddling around with two more pieces. He let his mind wander.

Strangely enough, the first thought that popped into his mind was he nightmare from last night. It had been terrifying, and felt so real. He still felt the scalding breath on his neck, hear the thundering footsteps as something - some_one_ followed closely behind. He recalled the shadows curl around him. He remembered the path disappearing below him. He rewatched the bloody eyes snap open and listened to the voice gasp those eerie words…

"_The shadows will consume your soul, mortal."_

"Yuugi."

The voice, which had woken him up from that nightmare, now snapped him from his recollection. Amethyst eyes blinked past the haze and flickered to Yami's tense form. He looked worried, but Yuugi didn't know why.

"You've been working on that for that past hour." A quick glance at the clock confirmed Yami's claim. "It's getting late. I believe it is time for bed."

* * *

Awkward. That was the only way to describe the night. Yami lay facing the door, while Yuugi was on his side, watching the window's night show. He'd blush whenever one of their limbs accidentally brushed against the other's, and they quickly retreated back to their side of the bed.

It was quiet, save for the soft breathing of both men. Yuugi knew that Yami was still awake, if his constant shifting and too-hard-to-be-sleeping breath was any indication. There was the occasional creak of the hotel as it settled itself down for the night. The only speck of light was the muted shining of the moon through misty clouds.

To be perfectly honest, Yuugi was afraid of falling asleep. The nightmare was still in the back of his mind, and he feared to face another like it.

Although, it did have its perks...Like having a sexy spirit hold you close to ward off any lingering sensations.

A stray foot gently brushed against Yuugi's calf, but he found himself not wanting to move. The other's skin was cool and refreshing. It calmed Yuugi, and he was grateful when it didn't back away like previous times.

It felt like forever, but Yuugi's eyes were slowing drooping. Unconsciously, he shifted his leg so it was flush to the other's foot, reaping the award of a slowly dropping temperature.

Something flickered on the edge of his gaze, but he found himself to be too tired to care. It was curling on the floor, playing teasingly with the moonlight already there. It was eerie and sent a small shiver up his spine, but he didn't mind.

Besides, Yami was here, and Yuugi was almost positive that if anything happened, the spirit would be there to protect him.

He felt cool and protected, and the feeling stayed even when the visions of curling shadows and bloody eyes swimming on the back of his eyelids became the only thing he saw.

* * *

Done and done.

Next chapter will be up Friday evening, for those who need reminding. I know it's a bit late, but school is really demanding attention, so think of it as a end of the week present.

R&R~


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Remember when being 11 was important and you rubbed it in everyone else's face?

...Yeah, me neither.

Anyways, I've got some news on Atemu and Akefia's arrival…sort of. Well, I haven't decided which chapter they're coming into, but they're definitely coming soon (then the real drama can start...hopefully).

The real, evil plot is hinted at in this chapter. Don't worry if you can't figure it out, 'cause all will be revealed soon enough…-low chuckle-

**Warning: **Mentionings of blood (it's nothing too gory, though).

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed/followed/favorited!

Enjoy~

* * *

Yuugi twitched, shifting subtly in the warm bed. His dreams had been blissfully blank and void of terror. His muscles felt a bit sore, so he stretched - eyes still closed - like a cat would after a satisfying nap. His hands brushed the headboard, fingers curling to get a good grip as his body turned to rest in a more comfortable position.

His feet gently bumped into a lump that sat above the corners. Yuugi muttered under his breath, mind still a bit foggy. He rolled onto his other side, arms reaching to find something that wasn't there.

It was when Yuugi remembered what - or, _who_ - he was looking for did his amethyst eyes snap open and his heart skip a few fearful beats. Like the bare skin of his fingertips had reported, the spot beside him was bare and messy. The person who had previously inhabited the bed with him was gone, the patch of messiest cloth cold, indicating that the other had left sometime ago.

But...where?

The lump on the edge of the bed - which Yuugi had just recently remembered was still there - shifted and the bed squeaked in protest. His heart had increased its pace by tenfold, and Yuugi was paralyzed in fear of what sat next to him. A faint memory of dancing shadows in the moonlight came back to him, but he couldn't make any connections to this moving lump.

Yuugi held his breath, tensely waiting for this _thing_ to find out he was now awake. However, there was mere silence that ate its way through his own sanity. Why didn't it attack? Was it waiting for Yuugi to turn so he could see its face before pouncing on his throat?

Was it possibly Yami?

Yuugi's thoughts stopped abruptly. It could be him, couldn't it? Of course it was. It had to be. Yami had never really been apart from Yuugi's side since coming out of the Sennen Box, so why leave when Yuugi was still sleeping, being recently prone to horrid nightmares?

He swore, if Yami was watching him sleep once again...

Tiredly, Yuugi decided that it was too early in the morning for such inquiries and tilted his head to the side so he could see the shadow figure that had been in his peripheral vision beforehand.

A shuddering breath of relief blew from his mouth. It was Yami after all. _Note to self_, Yuugi thought in exasperation, _quit watching so many horror movies._

Yami was sitting on the back of his legs, staring at the morning sun intently. When Yuugi peered closer, he noticed that those violet and red eyes were dulled and glossed over, which brought a chill as old memories of his parents and that fateful car accident arose…

He swallowed back the memories and concentrated on the spirit in front of him.

Yami was still unaware of Yuugi's stare, his hands clutching the pajama pants Yuugi had given to him last night. They twitched every now and then, his cheek giving a more subtle copy of the action along with it.

The smaller's eyes were drawn from the hands and to the pale arms. What he saw made his breath hitch dangerously and his already a size too large eyes bug out of their sockets.

Almost immediately, Yuugi jerked into a sitting position, threw the pooling covers away, and, rather roughly, gripped Yami's upper arm. The spirit practically jumped five feet in the air, and Yuugi thought he saw the beginnings of dark shadows creeping around his fingers before the spirit realized who it was that had attacked him so.

"Yuugi…?" he murmured, almost confusedly. Like he hadn't remembered if the young man was supposed to be there, or if he was alright...or real in the first place. Yuugi just decided to ignore that and focus on what had caught his attention.

"Yami, your wrists are bleeding!" Yuugi's voice went high in mild panic, and he vaguely registered the time of eight in the morning from the clock at the right. A small voice complained about all this happening at such an early - at least, for his sleep in times - hour.

The spirit blinked owlishly, then glanced down at the aforementioned wrists Yuugi was tenderly holding. Crimson blinked back up at him, and Yuugi took in the wonder and confusion written clearly on his face. Did he not know he was bleeding so profusely?

Yuugi gently tugged at the other's arms, deciding not to comment on it at this moment in time. He guided a somewhat stunned and silent Yami to the bathroom, where he dug out the red first aid kit from under the counter. He made Yami sit on the tolit seat while he fished out the supplies he'd need from the box.

Yami remained taciturn, watching as small trickles of blood ran down his arm and pooled at the elbow, dripping onto the white tiled floor below. Yuugi tried to ignore the fact that he'd probably be the one to clean that all up.

"Yuugi?"

Snapping his attention instantly to the other, Yuugi almost dropped the gauze he was holding. Instead of those glazed, dull eyes from in the bedroom, Yami now looked at him with glittering concern. It made Yuugi's head hurt.

"Yeah?"

"Are you alright?"

The question caught Yuugi off guard, for who asks such a thing when they're practically bleeding out for no apparent reason? He resisted the urge to laugh in the other's face.

"I'm…" he searched for the correct term to use. "I'm fine...Are _you_ alright? How did you cut your wrists?"

Another owlish blink was directed his way, and Yuugi faintly wondered if he was suffering from short term memory loss. That would explain a lot…

"I don't know."

Yuugi was unsure whether that answer was for how he was feeling or how he got cut, but the smaller had the sneaking suspicion that the answer was as clear as crystal. It did the opposite of calm his nerves.

He cleaned and wrapped the other's wounds in silence, neither saying a word. After the task was said and done, Yuugi's fingers lingered on the rapidly tinting pink gauze. Questions flickered in and out of his mind, and it must've shown on his face, since a second later, a large hand was on his shoulder and giving it a light squeeze for comfort.

It did more help then he ever thought another's touch could.

* * *

The rest of the morning turned out to be pretty uneventful. They ate some brunch, since Yuugi didn't have enough food in the fridge for two separate meals and didn't feel like going out for another shopping trip.

Now, Yami was wearing his favorite outfit (which Yuugi thought offhandedly looked pretty damn good) and the two were watching commercials flash on the TV screen. A currently replaying drama show episode was on, and they found themselves hooked.

Or maybe it was just a way to push that morning away from memories, for a distraction was what they needed the most.

Thankfully, Yuugi's phone started to chirp, a sign that a new text message awaited him. Bored with watching over exaggerated ads, the young man eagerly scooped his phone from the coffee table.

_You have to come over right away. Mariku and Bakura are tearing up our house, and not even Ishizu's threats can get them to stop! ~ Malik_

A huff of amusement escaped Yuugi's lips, and his fingers danced across the screen in reply.

_Well, since both of us are pretty bored, I think I can spare some time to visit. We'll be there in an hour, k? ~ Yuugi_

_AN HOUR?! Why the frig not now?! ~ Malik_

'_Cause there's this marathon Yami and I are watching and it's pretty dramaish. I don't think Yami would like it if we abandoned it for some yelling and smashing of plants. ~ Yuugi_

_ARGH! Fine, just get here as soon as it's over. I think someone's about to be murdered, but I don't know who'll do what. ~ Malik_

Yuugi chuckled and tossed the phone back onto the small table. Yami rose an eyebrow as a question. The smaller gave a sweet, innocent smile.

"We're going over to Malik's after this episode. Seems like your buddies are causing some trouble."

It was Yami's turn to chuckle. "Sounds like them. Although, we should probably go now. I don't mind missing this...what did you call it again?"

"Filler episode." Yuugi provided, jumping to his feet. "In that case, let's get ready, shall we?"

Five minutes later, they were heading outside the door, the half completed Sennen Puzzle tucked safely under Yuugi's arm.

* * *

Oh, lookie. I gave some of Yuugi's background info. Cliche car accidents. Yippee.

Was it just me, or did I get pretty lazy at the end there…? Oh well.

Alrighty then. Next chapter will hopefully be up on Monday, so you won't have to wait five freaking days. Might consider changing the dates to Monday & Thursday…-shrug-

(Did you know elbow and below are the same except the 'b' is moved two spaces? ...Eheh, random trivia.)

R&R~


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: And here's number 12, my favorite number. Almost to the Atemu/Akefia chapters, but we still have to wait just a little bit longer. You can expect them to arrive sometime around the 15th Chapter (don't kill me if they come later than that).

Oh, and I've moved the update time to Thursdays instead of Fridays, just because I feel like a four/five day waiting time is too much for me to wait :x

**TexasDreamer01:** -throws lots and lots of digi cookies everywhere- Congrats for being my 50th reviewer~! I can't believe this story is as popular as it is...Seriously. I still remember when I got my first favorite...Anyways, the answer to your question (if you were looking for one), is that the cuts Yami received on his wrists - both of them, if I may add - were slightly jagged and shaky. They weren't too deep, at least not deep enough to cause some real damage. So, yeah, might have been purposeful, might be a scratch...I'm not giving away too much, right? (Now I feel like a doctor)

And, of course, everyone else who has reviewed/favorited/followed gets digi cookies!

**Warning:** Eheh, there's more mentionings of blood in here, but still nothing too intense. Glass related wounds hurt like a bitch...

So, onto Chapter 12! Enjoy~

* * *

Shouts of the foreign variety were heard throughout the house as Yuugi, Ryou, and Malik sat on the latter's bed, absently wondering about different musings. Yuugi had a protective hand around the Sennen Box, which stored the half completed Puzzle. No one had yet to comment on it, or ask why he occasionally looked frantically down to make sure if it was in fact the golden item he was holding.

Ryou had a forlorn expression on his face, light brown eyes dull in comparison to their usual sparkling warmth. His hands kneaded his legs, only pausing when he heard a particular voice from below get too loud. It was as if he expected the apocalypse to start in the very room he was in.

As for Malik, he wore an irritated scowl, obviously still a bit sore from getting screeched at when it was clearly "not his fault" that most of the pottery had been destroyed in the past half hour when Ryou and Bakura had suddenly decided to have a playdate. He was often spotted giving deathly glares to an unresponsive albino.

Finally, in an effort to try and steer the group into a slightly lighter spirit, Yuugi carefully opened the Sennen Box and began laying out pieces on the messy sheets (since Malik was prone to thrashing). Slowly, but surely, the other two became drawn to the glittering gold, picking some of them up to examine further. It wasn't until Yuugi had effectively removed the completed half without jostling the connected pieces did anyone dare to speak and break the now comfortable silence - save, of course, for the shouts and crashes heard from the floor below.

"Yami called it the Sennen Puzzle. Apparently, I'm suppose to complete it." Yuugi murmured into his arms, which had folded atop his knees for comfort. He gauged his friend's reactions, but they all seemed to be blank in thought.

Suddenly, Malik brightened. "So, it's kind of like the dagger-thingy on the Sennen Rod?" He reached behind his back and pulled from his waist strap the golden staff. The Eye of Horus was conveniently positioned so it glared at the Sennen Puzzle's, almost like an ancient stand off.

Malik's tanned hand swiftly removed the cover from the bottom, revealing the sharp point that made Ryou visibly stiffen. Yuugi shook his head, waving a finger in signal to put it away.

"No, not really. That's more of an add on. The Sennen Puzzle is something completely different from the Sennen Box."

Ryou relaxed as Malik, quickly getting the picture, recapped the dagger. The white haired man lifted his hands and moved them to his own neck, where he tugged a cord that lay inconspicuously. The actions revealed the Sennen Ring, with jiggled quietly as the ringlets hit each other at the motion.

"You guys are lucky. My item is only a big ring with an eyes in the middle. You guys get add ons and secret puzzles."

Yuugi laughed at the slightly tense pout Ryou tried to pull. "Yeah, but then again, that's probably not a good thing."

The three sniggered longer than necessary, just to relieve the room of the stuffy tenseness it had been enduring. After wiping their eyes of barely pricking tears, they turned back to the puzzle and began clicking pieces together.

...Or, at least, tried to. For some reason, none of them had any luck in trying to complete at least one connection. It made Yuugi's head hurt again, as he did not want to know if it was pure luck that had struck him the other night, or if it had been something else that made him slide the pieces easily together.

Eventually, Malik threw down the two pieces he held in annoyance. Yuugi and Ryou exchanged a small glance of amusement, slightly impressed he had even lasted this long. "I'm bored." The blond announced with a yawn.

The sounds of yelling had finally subsided, but the trio could still hear the occasional loud voice of Ishizu as she tried to reprimand them into staying in their current position - of what Yuugi could guess was - calmness. It's not like Ishizu would tie the poor spirits up or anything...right?

Letting out a loud, dragged out sigh, Yuugi gathered the pieces and placed them gently back into the box. "Yeah. Let's go see how those three are holding up downstairs."

Agreeing, Malik and Ryou helped clean up. A few minutes later, the young men were blinking at the scene that had showed itself to them upon arrival.

Broken glass, vases, and anything else deemed breakable were scattered throughout the floor. Pictures that were still somehow hanging on the wall were leaning precariously on their sides, some even swinging as if a large breeze had blown past. The three spirits who had most likely caused this mess were sitting in a lazily calm fashion, chewing on various snacks while the TV ran a mindless show that no one seemed to be paying attention to.

And, of course, sitting in the middle of it all was Ishizu Ishtar, her hands displaying a multitude of cuts from the glass she was trying to pick up. Upon further inspection, Yuugi spotted several pieces of cloth that had been undoubtedly towels. He even saw a pair of gloves with so many hole, you'd think the house had been infested by moths.

"Nee-san…" Malik called out cautiously, drawing everyone's attention to be focused steadily on him. Gulping as he felt Mariku's searing gaze bore into the side of his face, Malik continued his questioning. "Is everything alright? Would you like me...us to help?" He shot Yuugi and Ryou a meaningful glare, earning himself a couple of swift nods in response.

Ishizu simply laughed as though she had fallen from her rocker many hours ago. "Help? Oh, sure. Of course you can help. Be careful of the glass, though. It might bite you." She held up her scratched up hands, and the trio by the steps winced.

"I'll...go get the broom." Malik was quick to disappear into the kitchen, which had been equally damaged. Ryou went off wordlessly to help, feeling a bit squeamish of the small amount of blood going down Ishizu's hands. So, that left Yuugi to deal with the woman.

As gently as possible, Yuugi made his way over and guided the way to the bathroom, but not without sending warning glares to the still taciturn spirits. Mariku and Bakura just huffed, turning back to the TV. Yami, however, gave him a tight small that read of guilt. At least someone was feeling bad about what they had done, though Yuugi couldn't really blame his doppelganger. It was, after all, Mariku and Bakura's fault for starting this whole thing anyways.

The process of getting the glass out of Ishizu's hands was tedious, especially when the Egyptian woman was flinching every time Yuugi so much as made a move to touch her hands. Her senses seemed to be on hyperdrive.

It was around an hour before Yuugi had completely managed to remove the glass, clean her wounds, and wrap the bandages. Feeling a bit fed up of playing doctor, Yuugi tiredly pulled Ishizu up to her own room and demanded her to rest, claiming he could handle everything for the night.

It wasn't until he had reached the living room again did he fully understand what he had agreed to.

Mariku and Bakura had somehow gotten to each other's throats once more, and Malik was trying his best to break them apart while keeping in mind the still semi glass scattered floor. Yami was minding his own business, watching a muted TV as someone in the show starting to cry loudly (the volume seemed to be on max) over their lover's body. Ryou was cleaning, flinching whenever someone's voice had skyrocketed. His hands were also shaking, and it made Yuugi wonder what had happened in the past few days to make him like that. A quick glance to the wrestling albino gave him his answer.

Feeling a great bout of annoyance and anger rise up, Yuugi snapped. He opened his mouth to say something when He spotted a hand reach up to the sky. Blinking, he could only watch as Yami signaled him to stay quiet. Then, the spirit turned the TV off and rotated to the tumbling duo on the floor. He waited until their shouts had decreased in volume before speaking in a hauntingly low tone.

"kkwy nfr aA."

Those three words made Mariku and Bakura freeze as if their blood had run cold. Immediately, they separated and stared, mouths slack, at the tricolored haired spirit. Quickly, so Yuugi and the others - who had paused in what they were doing - could not understand a single syllable. Yami replied curtly and the other two stalked off, seemly pissed.

Quirking an eyebrow, Yuugi gazed quizzically at Yami. The spirit merely shrugged. "It is none of your business as of yet. I suggest we all just get some rest."

The trio nodded a bit dumbly, not even caring that if they went to bed now, they'd miss out on dinner. Although, none really had an appetite once hearing the dreadful tone Yami had used to effectively shut the insane ones up, while scaring them along the way.

* * *

Translations:

"kkwy nfr aA": The Darkness is here.

Eheh, I made Ishizu kind of lose it here. But, wouldn't you if someone like our dear Yamis rampage all over the place, practically throwing glass everywhere? Yeah, that's what I thought.

I almost didn't get this up today. My brother decided to effectively bug the crap out of me by complaining about his essay. ("What's a point?" and "How do I do this?" and "Help me by helping me!") So, yeah. I have a headache.

R&R~


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Finally, my pretties, I have written it! No, it's not Atemu or Akefia, but it is Yami's background story. Who is he? Why is he in the Box? What's his relationship with the other spirits? But most importantly, who is he to the Nameless Pharaoh? Ooh, I'm excited!

**TexasDreamer01: **Ah, yes. Mystery indeed...And for the answer to your question, yes, Yami can sense how far Yuugi is with the Puzzle. He was sealed inside of the Box to protect it, so he should be able to feel whether or not the Puzzle is in the right hands or not. By 'something else that makes him say that', I am guessing you are referring to Yami saying "The Darkness is here" in Ancient Egyptian. There is indeed something / someone that has triggered him to warn Bakura and Mariku, but that will be revealed at a later time.

Thank you to **Great**, who had pointed out a mistake last chapter, now fixed.

And, of course, thank you to everyone else who has reviewed/favorited/followed!

Enjoy~

* * *

Yuugi, having not been able to fall asleep due to the early timing of Yami's announcement, was sitting at a desk he had set up in their guest room, alternating between trying to solve the rest of the puzzle and debating on whether or not to question Yami about what had happened earlier. He (and the other two modern day men, for that matter) would've asked as soon as Bakura and Mariku had stormed off, but the expression written on Yami's face was enough to make them shut up and quickly escape to their rooms.

Like with Ryou and Malik a few hours prior, the golden puzzle pieces would not fit together. No matter how many combinations he tried, Yuugi could not connect one piece to another. Frustrated as about the hundredth try came and went with the small breeze from the window, Yuugi decided to just give up and focus on something else for a while.

That something being Yami, as he was the only interesting thing left.

The spirit was seated quietly on the bed, right thumb gently grazing the pinkish bandages still wrapped around his wrists. He would occasionally stick his tongue out to wet chapped lips, and shift to get more comfortable. However, he never let his gaze stray from the wrappings.

Nibbling on the corner of his mouth, Yuugi mulled over a good conversation starter. Nothing too suspicious, just in case Yami was extra guarded today. He needed something that would spark a light in those dull violet and red eyes, something that would cause him to come out of the hole he was hiding in.

"We should probably change those bandages."

Nice one, Yuugi. Way to spark his inspiration and get him out of his shell.

Yami blinked slowly, then tilted his head to look directly into Yuugi's eyes. Some emotion came across the spirit's face, but it quickly dispersed before Yuugi could decipher it. Eventually, he gave a small nod of agreement and stood. Yuugi, albeit a tad nervously, followed him out of their room and into the bathroom, where the first aid kit was still out from when Ishizu had to get her cuts checked out.

Gesturing for Yami to have a seat on the toilet, Yuugi set about once again gathering up the gauze and washcloth. He also picked up the small pair of scissors to cut the already in use bandages.

Upon seeing that Yuugi was fully prepared, Yami gingerly held out his wrists for examination. Yuugi snipped around the sides so he didn't agitate the wounds and let the bandages fall to the ground to be picked up later. Brushing a light finger over the dried blood crusts against the jagged edges of the cuts, Yuugi hummed quietly.

"So…" Yuugi began quietly, turning on the sink so he could wet the washcloth. "How did you exactly get those cuts, hm?"

After the water had turned the right temperature, Yuugi ran the cloth underneath the faucet and rang it out so the excess water would be freed. Turning back to Yami, who had remained silent, Yuugi took great note at how grim and pale the spirit had become. His face was screaming fear, and it scared the smaller himself.

"Yami…?" Yuugi murmured hesitantly, reaching out to touch his lower arm.

The spirit visibly flinched as Yuugi touched him, and again, Yuugi saw a flash of darkness arise from the other's fingertips. It left as quickly as it came, however, as did the fear, instead being replaced by regret.

"I...I am sorry, Yuugi." Yami sputtered in a soft whisper, moving to grip his forearms.

Yuugi was quick to halt the action by, somewhat harshly, jerking both of his hands away. He did not want the wounds to be reopened. "Yami," he looked straight into the other's eyes with seriousness, "what's wrong?"

He was expecting another brush off. This was, in fact, Yami he was speaking to, and all the time Yuugi had spent with him in the past few days had him learn that the spirit was someone who would never make the move to push his problems onto others unless deemed necessary. He was not expecting what Yami actually did, though.

"I am a guardian."

A slow, processing blink was the response. "What?" Yuugi inquired, tilting his head in confusion. Where had that come from?

"I am a guardian," Yami repeated steadily, slowly gaining his confidence back. He gently plucked Yuugi's hands off of his arms and curled his fingers together in his lap. "That is who I was before I came to be in the Box, and it is who I am now, and who I shall be for however long it takes."

Amethyst eyes brightened once their owner realized that Yami was actually revealing his past to him. And without another prompting, too. Eagerly, Yuugi kneeled down beside the toilet to listen quietly.

"I...I was made. I had no mother, nor father. Only creators, who were all apart of the Council. They were high ranking priests who were under oath to protect the Pharaoh by all means necessary." Yami paused, looking away from Yuugi's intense and interested gaze. He could see the small amount of pity he held for the spirit, who had no family.

He cleared his throat and continued. "The Council could not protect the Pharaoh all the time. They had other duties to attend to, after all. So, one day, they met and decided to create guardians who would never leave the Pharaoh's side. They decided to create Bakura, Mariku, and I.

"It had taken them several months, or so I've heard. But, finally, they were able to create us. We were built in with defense mechanisms, and were instantly ordered to go to the Pharaoh's side and never leave it…" Yuugi's lips thinned in thought as the slightest blush came across the talking man, and he could only wonder what had caused that.

"However, someone eventually disobeyed that order and turned against the Pharaoh. He left in the middle of the night and joined with the most dangerous of all thieves. That guardian was Bakura." Yami had swallow back the nasty retorts that wanted to come out. "I did forgive him, though. He is technically my brother, but it still did not erase the immense amount of betrayal he left behind."

There was a pause, and Yuugi decided to start washing Yami's wounds. This time, he did not flinch when the smaller touched him. Instead, he gratefully accepted the contact and continued.

"The Pharaoh began to get wary of his remaining guardians, so he decided to only have the one he most trusted to guard him, while he appointed the other to head guardsman of the palace. The Pharaoh chose me, while sending Mariku away.

"It was a few months later did anything real bad happen. I should have seen the clues, but I was so blind...My blunders cost me most of my country's lives, and the life of the Pharaoh, for he had to sacrifice himself to save everyone still alive. I later sealed myself into the Sennen Box in order to protect the thing the Pharaoh had treasured most. His Puzzle."

By the time Yami had finished his story, Yuugi had cleaned and wrapped the cuts once more, and was putting away the supplies. The spirit had answered questions that had been circling around in Yuugi's head ever since his arrival, but many more were added and left to wander. He tried to ask one after a minute of silent contemplation.

"What was the Pharaoh's name?" It was no mystery that this Pharaoh and the Nameless Pharaoh were indeed one and the same. If Yami was able to recite this one bit of information, then the mystery Yuugi had been so obsessed over would take a giant step towards being completed and solved.

However, the expression that clouded Yami's face had drowned all hopes of getting an answer. Obviously, the name of his Pharaoh was a well kept secret, even back then. Yuugi wouldn't have been surprised if Yami didn't even know it at all.

He held his hands up. "There's no need to tell me right away." He quickly explained, moving to put away the first aid kit back under the counter. "You don't even have to, if you want…" It wasn't what Yuugi wanted, but if it made Yami uncomfortable, then he should respect it accordingly.

Yami nodded softly, standing from the toilet. "How about we get some sleep now?"

Yuugi shook his head. He was still too hyper, and that story hadn't helped one bit. "Nah, how about we work on the Puzzle again? We might be able to finish it tonight, if we're lucky."

There was a brief sense of hesitation Yuugi caught, but in the end, Yami agreed and they left the bathroom to get back to their own room.

* * *

So, did that answer most of your questions about Yami? I hope so, since this was meant to be a sort of informational chapter.

NEWS! Atemu and Akefia _will_ be arriving soon! Yes, probably in Chapter 15 or 16, but them and the drama truck are just around the corner. Next chapter will probably be filler-ish, with some Puzzleshipping fluff, I think. Or maybe I'll just skip that meaningless fluff and move right onto our Nameless Pharaoh...What do you think? Fluff or no fluff?

Update on Monday, the start of my two week off break!

R&R~


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Welp, looks like Christmas is swiftly approaching, and I haven't even bought any gifts yet…Wish me luck.

Anywho, I decided to go with the fluff chapter, since everybody loves fluff.

**WhiteNaomi: **Why, yes, of course this story will be Mobiumshipping. However, the actually Mobiumshipping goodness won't be for a while. First, we have this messed up love triangle. You see, Yami has these buried emotions for Atemu and small, growing feelings for Yuugi, and Atemu will start to be infatuated by Yuugi, but will only see Yami as a friend until later, and Yuugi...Well, he going to have very mixed and confusing feelings for both :x Complicated, yeah?

Special shoutout to my 25th favoriter, **Ciel Black018**!

And, of course, thanks to everyone who has favorited/reviewed/followed!

Now enjoy the fluff~

* * *

Yuugi glared at the large golden piece that was situated in front of him. In the middle, standing out like a peacock flaunting its feathers, was the Eye of Horus. It stared straight at Yuugi, and the two seemed to be having a hostile staring contest.

Having returned to their room around an hour ago, Yuugi and Yami had carefully started to spread the unconnected pieces out, with the already connected blob in the middle. Yami sat back on the bed, watching as Yuugi began to twiddle with different pieces, trying all sorts of ways to have them click together.

However, much to Yuugi's chagrin, just like earlier that same day, none of the pieces would fit. It was like the Puzzle was purposefully trying to get him annoyed.

To make matters worse, Yami wound up being lost in his own little world. He would gaze off as his eyes dulled once more. In fact, the only movement coming from the spirit was the faint twitching of his fingers and the owlish blinking of his eyes. Yuugi couldn't even tell if the other was breathing, though, since he was a spirit, it would make sense if he wasn't.

This unnerved Yuugi greatly, though. Yami hadn't spoken a word since they left the bathroom, and the smaller was beginning to miss having idle chats with the other. It would make time fly faster, since the Puzzle obviously wasn't going to be any help to Yuugi's mood.

Then, an idea struck him. Why not have Yami help with the Puzzle's completion? He _was_ the one guarding it, so he could probably at least fit one piece into another. Besides, the activity might bring the spirit out of the shell he was hiding in.

"Yami?" Yuugi murmured tentatively. Although excited about having Yami finally join him in the real world, he was still feeling hesitant in fear of rejection...Great, now he was thinking like a schoolgirl with a major crush.

The other, despite Yuugi's obvious nervousness, turned to him nonetheless. His eyes suddenly lost their dullness and a certain spark began to ignite once they locked onto Yuugi's amethyst. "Yes?" he answered quietly and steadily, awaiting further response.

With a small quirk of the lips at Yami's positive reaction so far, Yuugi decided to continue with a brave voice (which only faltered once during his speech). "Well, I was thinking that since I'm having no luck with the Puzzle right now, and you seem pretty bored, that we could, um, work together to complete it?" The hopefulness shining in his eyes would've made anyone comply.

However, with that considered, it still took around a minute of tense silence for Yami to answer, during of which Yuugi's inward panic had started to grow with each second that passed.

"Okay."

The simple, nonchalant response made Yuugi blink several times before a bright, goofy grin nearly split his face in two. "Okay," he repeated softly and breathlessly, not knowing why the other's confirmation had created a small warmth that was spreading from his stomach to his face.

Seeing that Yuugi was currently occupied with his private thoughts, Yami slowly made a move to two lone gold pieces. Picking them up gingerly, as if they would lash out at for being touched in such a way, Yami continued to gently slide them together with a resounding _click_.

The noise drew Yuugi from his musings, and his grin grew wider, showing pearly white teeth. Inspired by Yami's discovery, Yuugi reached for two more pieces. While making a grab for one on the other side of the bed, Yuugi's knee accidentally brushed past Yami's thigh, and the friction caused Yuugi's face to heat.

Pulling back with the targeted piece in hand as quickly as possible, Yuugi made himself busy by sliding the pieces against each other in the same way Yami had done beforehand. After a few tries that had his annoyance begin to return, they eventually made a _click_ and they fell from Yuugi's hands in one piece.

Glancing sideways at Yami to see how his progress was going, Yuugi took in the concentrated look the spirit wore. His pink tongue was lapping unconsciously at the corners of his mouth, and his slender, pale fingers gently made the two pieces of gold brush together, but did not gain enough ground to stay as one. The scene made Yuugi's own tongue dart out to swipe across his own lips in an attempt to wet them.

Suddenly, a small ray of the moon peeked into the room from the opened window, and it reflected in such a way off of the pieces the other held, that Yuugi instantly saw the correct way of getting them to stick.

With the caution and gentleness Yuugi suddenly managed to conjure up, he slid over and laid his small hands upon Yami's. The spirit froze on contact, and Yuugi used this stillness to control his fingers into rotating the pieces opposite ways. Yami, even after regaining his composure, let the smaller do what he desired, and only watched as Yuugi smoothly connected them with the familiar _click_.

There was a barely heard swallow, and Yuugi suddenly realized he still hand his hands on Yami's lukewarm ones. With a deep flush, Yuugi was quick to withdraw. He kept his head down so the other wouldn't see his red face.

A moment of silence came from Yami's side of the bed, before the shifting of covers was heard and he reached for another piece to connect with the one in his hands

They worked in comfortable silence after that, not needing to speak, lest they disrupt the peaceful environment they had managed to create. Occasionally, one would pause to take in the beautiful, clear skied night and the waxing shaped moon hanging above. The other would soon notice, and they too would stop and stare. Then, one snapped out of their trance and began working once more, in turn causing the other to do as well.

There were also times when they brushed against each other to grab another piece, just like Yuugi had done before. No one would bring it up, nor would they complain about it. Soon, Yuugi suddenly found themselves scooching closer as the night grew older and the cold started to seep in through the barely noticed cracks of the house. He would yawn and pause in his workings more often as the time grew later and later. However, both did not want to stop for the night. Each possessed a fire of determination that made them press on.

They _would_ finish it tonight. They _will_ finish it tonight.

And so they pushed forward, oblivious to the world around them as their breaks suddenly became nonexistent. Five minutes went by, and they found themselves three quarters of the way done. Ten minutes, and their legs were flush against each other. At fifteen minutes, Yuugi's whole left side and Yami's reflective right were touching. Twenty minutes passed, and Yuugi's head met with Yami's shoulder. Twenty-five came and went, and they moved all the remaining pieces, including the completed ones, onto each other's laps. Half an hour was upon them, and they were leaning back against the pillows. Forty minutes, and Yuugi's head rested tiredly on Yami's hard, yet comfortable chest. Forty-five minutes found the two quietly murmuring about anything and everything. Fifty minutes, and their eyes began to droop.

And finally, an hour after they had started to work together, they simultaneously pushed the remaining piece - the large, Eye of Horus one - into the gaping hole in the middle of the upside down pyramid shape the Sennen Puzzle had formed. Lazily, they both smiled at each other with glee.

"We did it…" Yuugi whispered, already beginning to become lost in sleep as he curled closer to the spirit. Yami smiled tenderly, one arm loosely hooking itself around the smaller's waist. A soothing hum vibrated through Yami's throat, and Yuugi's last conscious thought was that this was the first time Yami had actually, truly _smiled_.

* * *

Better make that dentist appointment soon, 'cause I think that just rotted some teeth…

So, did you like the short, fluffy, sweet chapter I cooked up? I know I did :3

Alright, lovelies, time to bring up some news. The long awaited Atemu Chapter is next. I'll try to make it longer, since you've been waiting this long to at least _see_ our smexy Pharaoh.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas!

R&R~


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: And cue the trumpets. The chapter is finally here. Yes, yes, Atemu is here and so is Akefia (finally). Also comes with a small side of Monarchshipping.

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed/favorited/followed!

Enjoy~

* * *

The room was dark and shady. The only light shining in was from the moon, which was misted over in soft clouds. It reflected against a cool, golden surface that was resting on two chests. The two figures were fast asleep, so they were missing the soft growing glow from the object they had just completed not five minutes ago.

The shadows around the room suddenly started to move. They danced around the floor, walls, and ceiling, as if performing a time old ritual. The window was slowly being covered, so all light would soon be lost.

Laying oblivious to it all were Yami and Yuugi, still curled around each other. The spirit's arms soon, however, wrapped themselves tighter around Yuugi's waist, his brow furrowing in the slightest as his dreams were being awakened from his oldest instincts. Yuugi muttered something incoherent, but accepted the touch nonetheless with a soft and hazy coo.

Dark shadows still dancing, the Puzzle still glowing, the room started to drop in temperature. The window was blocked viciously from intruding on the occupants inside, and everything was plunged into the blackest of spaces.

Then, the Puzzle began to gain its light back. A golden glow started to form, but only illuminated the two on the bed. A shadow colored a misty coal crept out of the Eye of Horus, slinking along the side of the bed until it collapsed onto the floor. From there, it took shape, molding itself from nothing but the thin line connecting itself from the Puzzle's Eye. As the mist grew, dim red candles that weren't there before were lit, and the room became barely visible. The scent of incense flowed into the room, not from the candles, but from the mist itself.

Slowly, the growing form started to show colors as it took the shape of a human. Dazzling carmel latched onto smooth skin. Bright whites and tans conjured themselves into loose clothing. Dark ebony stretched from the scalp, gaining a crimson tint on the edges while blond bangs bloomed to frame a sharpened face, some even following the ebony to the sky above. Dry thin lips appeared, along with a clearly Egyptian nose and sleek eyebrows. Finally, the narrowed eyes that had been closed cracked open to reveal stunning wine red that rivaled those of crimson jewels. They blinked once, twice, and the shadows that had appeared after the Puzzle's completion raced back into the inverse pyramid, leaving the room as it was with the added bonus of candles spread around in the corners.

Yami, who had been faintly squirming as the whole ordeal was happening, visibly relaxed once the shadows had dispersed. It was the relieved sigh that gained the newcomers attention.

Eyes narrowing further upon gazing at the form of Yami and Yuugi's comfortable position, the figure leaned forward and took in the features of the spirit.

He was just as he remembered him to be. Almost deathly pale skin, thin, almost muscular arms and legs, and the familiar hair that was so similar to his own. Suddenly overcome with the urge to see those comforting violet and red eyes he had gone so long without, the figure ghosted closer, raising a hand to brush those sharp blond bangs from his face.

As expected, Yami was at full attention once the feeling of someone towering over his sleeping form was presented to his functions. A mixed colored gaze snapped open and immediately moved to take in who was threatening him and, by default, the one by his side. However, before his hands could move to harm, bronzed ones gripped just above Yami's still present bandages, and calculating crimson came into view.

There was a small gasp, and Yami felt the fight leave his body at a pace too quick to comprehend. Something stung at the edges of his eyes, and the breath promptly puffed out of him in one large sigh.

They stared at each other for what seemed like a lifetime, that is, until Yami's mouth decided it wanted to function after all. It fumbled for a while, not knowing what to say or how to say it.

Finally, he managed to, in a totally uncharacteristic squeak, respond to the hidden question in those eyes hovering above his own. "nsw…?"

A quiet smirk grazed the newcomer's lips, and his gaze softened in relief. "Now, now, Kkwy. No need for much formalities. I am not, after all, a king anymore." Unbeknownst to him, the figure had used modern Japanese to speak, but Yami found himself not minding one bit. In the form of this man's deep - even deeper than his own - voice, Yami couldn't help to find it thrilling.

Smiling brokenly from all the emotions that flooded his senses at once, Yami shifted to say the name he had been forbidden to say all of his life.

"Atemu…"

* * *

Yuugi felt himself shiver as the temperature finally caught up to him in his sleep induced mind. Feeling warmth by his side, he unconsciously snuggled closer with a content sigh. Small whispers started to invade his senses, and the young man whined softly in a feeble attempt to get them to stop, as he was still dog tired.

The murmurings did stop, though only to resume a minute later. Muttering something he didn't even know under his breath, Yuugi stuffed his face into the soft fabric he was latched onto. It shifted stiffly, and Yuugi felt cool fingers brush against his bangs in a constant, soothing way.

However, it wasn't until another, warmer pair of hands joined in and the wonderful scent of foreign spices fill his nose did Yuugi get the feeling that something was off. With a tired moan, he slowly blinked his eyes open. For a few moments, the only thing he could see were blurred shapes moving around him. Then, after rapidly blinking and shaking his head to rid of the still lingering sleep, Yuugi's gaze focused so that he could see clearly.

The first thing that registered in his mind was that it was Yami who he was attached to, and the spirit had his arms wrapped comfortably around Yuugi's thin waist. The second thing was that there was another, tanner, muscular Yami staring deeply into his amethyst orbs with stunning crimson while hovering over both Yami and Yuugi.

The color of this newcomer's gaze had Yuugi freeze and tense up as images from his nightmare from a few nights ago came rushing back at such a speed, it made the young man dizzy with fear.

He quickly snapped back into reality when the tanner Yami leaned forward, a smirk dancing across his lips. When he spoke, Yuugi couldn't help but notice how the deep voice made the smaller almost shiver in delight.

"My, what a beautiful boy. What I wouldn't do to have you in my harem."

And Yuugi did what any other sensible person would do. He screamed.

Using the stunned expressions on both of the others' faces, Yuugi ripped himself free of Yami's grip and tore out of the sheets to race for the door, not even bothering to stop and contemplate the reason as to why there were softly lit candles in the room.

Stumbling out into the hallway, Yuugi wasted no time into dashing into the closest room to find safety. However, what he found instead was even more frightening.

Expecting to see Ryou on floor and Bakura hogging the entire queen sized bed, both sleeping peacefully despite the loud shriek Yuugi had let out not a moment ago, the tri-colored haired man got another surprise once he saw Ryou cowering on the bed and Bakura staring up from his sitting position on the floor at another duplicate of the white haired spirit. This tanned spirit had grayish hair and a heavily scarred body, with a piercing dark crimson gaze that reminded Yuugi yet again of his nightmare. Once the smaller had entered and slammed the door behind him, all eyes snapped to him. Yuugi suddenly felt bile rise up in his throat, along with more paralyzing fear.

Before he could make a move to retreat back into the hallway, Yuugi was roughly pushed further into the room as the door swung open and Yami rushed in with his own look-a-like following closely behind. The tanned Bakura growled furiously once he spotted the tanned Yami, and he produced something sharp and shiny from a hidden pocket behind his red cloak.

The tanned Bakura smirked at the equally angered expression that was quickly painting itself on the tanned Yami's face. "Why, if it isn't our little Pharaoh _Atemu_." He spat out the name as if in insult. But judging the expression on this "Atemu's" face, Yuugi guessed that it was.

"Akefia." Atemu growled out through gritted teeth.

Yuugi was quick to remember Yami's story from in the bathroom, and realized that this must be the Pharaoh and thief he had been talking about. Amazement sunk in as Yuugi also realized that this Yami look-a-like must also be the Nameless Pharaoh, which means-

All other thoughts were erased as Yuugi was roughly grabbed by the forearm and dragged out of the room by a frightened Ryou. Suddenly coming to the conclusion that if he stayed, he might be pulled into an unwanted battle, Yuugi eagerly followed. The others in the room were too busy sizing each other up to notice.

Once out in the hallway with the door safely closed behind them, Ryou started blubbering about how he was just trying to get some rest and then this Akefia person had suddenly just popped out of the Sennen Ring just like Bakura had a few days prior and then Bakura had just sat up and then they two were just staring at each other until Yuugi had decided to burst in after they had heard this terrified scream and-

"Yeah, yeah," Yuugi quickly interrupted, gripping Ryou's hands and pulling him off towards the stairs. "That sounds great and all, but right now we need to see if there's another Mariku down there." At the mention of the crazy blond spirit, Ryou visibly paled and nodded vigorously in agreement. They both knew if there was indeed another Mariku, then they all would be screwed.

Slowly creeping down the stairs, Yuugi and Ryou poked their heads around the corner leading to the living room. It was dark, since it was around three in the morning, and they could hear nothing except some muffling shouts coming from the guest room they had just left.

Dubbing it safe to explore, they cautiously made their way towards the couch, where they knew Malik had sent Mariku to sleep. Since the couch was facing the opposite direction of the stairs, Yuugi and Ryou couldn't see if Mariku was indeed still on the said furniture. With a nervous breath, Yuugi decided that he would be the one to peek over the side to check, and was about to do it when a familiar voice sounded from behind both of the young men.

"I see you two have met the darling Pharaoh and Thief King. Aren't they just two peas in a pod?"

Yuugi and Ryou spun around to see Mariku standing with his signature half crazed

smirk on his face, Malik peering at them from the bottom of the stairs. They glanced around for evidence of another in the room, but found none. They were drawn from their frantic searches by Mariku's laugh.

"You won't find another one of me around here." The blond informed them, moving to take a seat on the couch Yuugi had been going to peek over. "Come sit down. I'm sure it'll be a while before anyone comes out of that room."

* * *

nsw: (my) king

-is laughing ass off- "what I wouldn't do to have you in my harem" oh I couldn't help myself xD

Now we have a flirty, sexy Pharaoh and dangerous, equally sexy thief in our little story. Oh, what fun we'll have.

I think this is my favorite chapter so far, and I hope you all love it as much I do.

R&R~


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: Oh my Ra I've got this writer's block that I can't seem to shake. Sorry if this chapter isn't up to any of your standards.

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed/favorited/followed!

Enjoy~

* * *

Yuugi sat uncomfortably on the couch, Ryou and Malik seated next to him. He had his head in his hands, half listening to the shouts coming from upstairs. There hadn't been any crashing sounds, though, so he assumed it was only a verbal fight.

He was exhausted, but couldn't even think about sleep, since they had these two new spirits to deal with…When they decide to stop bickering and head on downstairs so everyone can get some answers.

Mariku looked to be taking a nap on the stair across from the three modern day men. However, when the Ancient Egyptian shouts became so loud you could hear the individual syllables from behind the floorboards, the wild blond's belly would shake with barely controlled giggles and a crazy smirk made its way onto his face. It made Yuugi wonder what they were shouting about up there.

Ryou was fidgeting, not looking at anyone in the eyes. Unlike Mariku, who seemed to gain entertainment from the shouts, whenever the fight would get too loud, little Ryou would recoil deeper into the couch, as if he was the one directed to by the foreign words.

Malik, however, seemed unaffected by the current events. He was sitting normally, with his legs crossed along with his arms. His lavender eyes had boredom written clearly in them, and sighed on occasion. One more than one time, Yuugi had caught him trying to catch up on the sleep he was missing out on.

Another loud burst of voice was heard, followed by a thump. The people downstairs could only guess on what that was about.

Sighing, Yuugi tried to calm his overly active nerves, but much to his own chagrin, he was just too hyped up. Whether or not it was excitement or dread, he couldn't tell.

But he should be excited, right? Because after all, one of the newcomers was the Nameless Pharaoh, the same Pharaoh that Yuugi and his family had been trying to uncover for at least four generations. Before Yuugi had gone to Egypt, the closest clue to solving this mystery was a worn tablet that only showed a very faded image of the Pharaoh and one of his priests. Hardly a clue at all, since the writing was as illegible as chicken scratch from thousands of years of damage.

_Atemu_. That was his name. A strong, masculine name that fit the well built Pharaoh. A name originated from one of the Gods called Atum, the God of Creation.

Already Yuugi was mentally analyzing and contemplating. A true archaeologist's grandson indeed.

"Are they coming down soon or what?" Malik interrupted Yuugi's thoughts with a whine of boredom, throwing his head back against the couch in exasperation.

Mariku squinted his eyes open, glaring at Malik. "They should be done soon. No doubt for breakfast." He paused to chuckle at his small inside joke that the other three only vaguely got. "Or you could just go up there and drag them down. I'm sure they'd appreciate it." Sarcasm dripped from his voice, but at this point, Yuugi was willing to try it. It had been around an hour since they had appeared.

He was about to get up and declare their course of action when footsteps sounded from the stairs. Everyone in the room fell silent and waited for someone to appear. Soon, two figures entered the room, one stomping and fuming, while the other just looked tired.

"sn ann. jw=n Hts? wj sbT." Bakura muttered, cutting straight through the living room and into the kitchen. Ryou watched with concerning eyes that flashed with indecision. Finally, he got up and slowly followed the wild albino.

Yami sighed, lazily taking the spot Ryou had previously occupied, which was consequently next to Yuugi. He rubbed his temples with one hand while the other came to rest in between himself and Yuugi. For some reason, Yuugi found that hand to be very noticeable.

Suddenly, the shouting, which had been paused ever since the two spirits had descended the stairs, started back up again, though a bit quieter. Yami groaned, but before he could do anything, Bakura stomped back in with a box of cereal in hand and thrust it into Yami's hands.

They two glared at each other for a minute before Yami sighed in defeat, stiffly standing and heading back up the stairs with loud steps, cereal box in hand. After his footsteps had faded, Bakura growled at Malik. "Move."

Another glaring battle commenced, and Mariku chose this time to step in. With one swoop, he scooped up Malik and brought him back to his chair, plopping the smaller blond into his lap. They squirmed for a bit until Mariku effectively pinned Malik's arms down. With a winning smirk, Mariku nodded to Bakura.

Huffing with mild amusement, Bakura took a seat next to a now awkward Yuugi. The tri-colored haired young man was confused at what was happening and had questions he really wanted answered, but right now had no way to get them out without pissing Bakura off more than he already was.

The albino cut Yuugi a glare, and growled out, "What are you staring at, squirt?"

Blushing at being caught and from the anger of the offensive nickname, Yuugi harshly turned his head to face the opposite way, earning himself a bit of whiplash in the process. A snort came from his right, and Yuugi finally chose a question that would probably be accepted.

"What's Yami doing?" Yuugi asked quietly, feeling a bit nerved with being in the same room as two dangerous spirits and no protection. He wished Yami would hurry up.

Mariku's smirk grew twice as large, a feat Yuugi thought wouldn't be possible. "He's just feeding the beasts." He said it as if it was the normalest thing someone could do. It was followed by an evil sounding cackle with Bakura joining after a few moments.

Yuugi stayed quiet after that.

* * *

Ryou returned after ten minutes had passed, baring freshly cooked pancakes and milk. After handing everyone, even the spirits, their share, he sat himself down on a chair away from everyone else, ignoring Bakura's silent invitation to sit in his lap. The wilder albino pouted, and Yuugi felt creepy chills race up his spine. It was not a good look on him.

Choosing to not pay any attention to the two spirit's so he wouldn't lose his appetite, Yuugi took a big bite from his pancake. His features instantly lit up and he quickly shoved another bite down his throat while humming in pleasure.

After finishing, Yuugi eagerly turned to Ryou. "Those pancakes were delicious! I didn't know you were such a good cook!"

Blushing from the compliments, Ryou let his head fall and bangs hide his reddened face. "I learned from my mother…"

There was something in his voice that made Yuugi frown in concern, but before he could question it, more footsteps started to come down the stairs. Everyone turned to see Yami returning with the cereal box much lighter than when he had first went up. He gave everyone a nod, his gaze seeming to linger on Yuugi for a little bit before disappearing into the kitchen.

When he came back in, this time without the box of cereal, Yuugi shot him the dreaded tell-me-what's-going-on-or-else glare that froze Yami momentarily. However, his inability to speak was quickly taken away as whispering shouts could be heard making their way down the staircase.

Yami cleared his throat, gaining attention once more. "They're coming."

* * *

sn ann. jw=n Hts? wj sbT = They return. We celebrate? I laugh. (hooray for choppy sentences :P)

Gahh sorry for the shortie, pretty much meaningless chapter. Again, my mind is currently being blocked by this angry wall :x It should be torn down by next chapter…

Anywho, since my mind is being bunk with this story at the moment, I've opened up requests for any fandom. Just give me a little PM and we'll go over the deets if ya want.

R&R~


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: Bleh, I know, I know. Last chapter wasn't exactly up to snuff and people want to see more shadow monster stuff, but I can promise that this will be later on (around the time they return to Japan).

So let's see if my writer's block has finally worn off, yeah?

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed/favorited/followed!

Enjoy~

* * *

As soon as Yami said those two little words, the gathered people in the living room had no time to prepare once two tanned and muscular men came bursting in, arguing about something in Ancient Egyptian. They stood in the doorway for around a minute, just trying to talk over the other and prove whatever point they were trying to make.

It gave Yuugi the perfect amount of time to assess the situation. He glanced from the bickering Pharaoh to Yami, who was just standing there and watching with the occasional twitch of an amused smirk. Bakura was smirking fully, his eyes trained on the tanner version of himself, who Yuugi faintly remembered his name to be Akefia. Ryou was digging himself deeper into the chair he was sitting in, refusing to look up in fear of meeting anyone's gaze. Mariku was trying to contain his laughter for the sole purpose of keeping Malik, who was still trapped in the crazy blond's hold, steady on his lap. It wasn't working out so well.

Figuring no one else was going to interrupt so they could clear things up, Yuugi gave out a long sigh before standing up and giving a good, loud clearing of his throat. His plan succeeded in attracting Atemu and Akefia's attention, but it failed on the specific type of attention that was.

As soon as Atemu locked gazes with Yuugi, he broke out into a victorious smirk that reminded Yuugi of the look the villains in horror movies showed once they found their victims. Before he could even blink, Yuugi found himself in the same position Malik was in, except his captor was the man Yuugi had been obsessing over since he was a kid.

Blushing brightly, Yuugi squirmed with all his might, shooting Yami a warning glare if he didn't start helping anytime soon. Unfortunately for him, Atemu had a very strong grip and it seemed that Yami was pretty loyal to his former Pharaoh, only giving Yuugi a small, apologetic glance. So, with a long huff, Yuugi gave up his struggle in order to sit tensely on the other man's lap, his flush not ceasing.

As for Akefia, he chose to do similar actions. However, instead of grabbing poor Ryou to hold, he picked up the still smirking Bakura and planted him firmly against his thighs. The wild albino gave no signs of struggle and leaned into the hard chest, his eyes cutting across the room towards the shivering form of Ryou, who immediately buried his head into the chair's soft cushion.

Seeing no more available seats, since Bakura's feet swung over and took up the remaining space on the couch, Yami hovered on the side of the room, watching Atemu and Yuugi with an intense gaze that made the latter almost shiver if he hadn't been flush against the former's chest.

There was a silence coming shortly after everyone had settled. It was tense, uncomfortable, and it stretched on and on to the point where Yuugi knew he could take it no more. However, it wasn't him who cut into the stillness.

"Who are you?"

The inquiry had not come from Yuugi, Ryou, nor Malik. It had come from the entryway, where a tired and still bandaged Ishizu stood. Everyone turned to her, but she did not back down under the suspicious glowerings the two newcomers displayed. Yuugi felt Atemu tense, and his grip on Yuugi's arms tightened considerably, making the smaller wince. The large hands placed on his forearms suddenly felt too cold, and Yuugi shivered despite himself.

Yami stepped up and placed a hand on the woman's shoulder. His gaze never left Atemu, and as soon as his hand made contact with Ishizu, the coldness was gone and replaced by warm hands once more.

Yuugi wasn't sure, but he thought he saw the beginnings of shadows dancing between Atemu's fingers before the warmth returned and the Pharaoh relaxed again. A thumb started to massage the skin just above Yuugi's elbow, and he found his own muscles losing tension against his will.

"Ah, I do believe introductions are in order." Atemu spoke up, flashing Ishizu a winning smirk. "I am, well, _former_ Pharaoh Atemu of Kemet. And this nut over here" - he flung the thumb not on Yuugi's elbow over his shoulder towards Bakura's tanner version - "is Thief King Akefia. Say hey, 'Kefy."

Akefia growled and gave him the little birdie. A low chuckle echoed throughout Atemu's body and vibrated through Yuugi's, causing his blush to deepen.

The almost slang way of words had Yuugi momentarily confused. This was supposed to be an Ancient Pharaoh, not some playboy. Shooting another glance at Yami, the spirit seemed not to be surprised. In fact, he looked like he had been expecting it.

As if sensing his confusion, Atemu piped up about it. "Yeah, yeah. Not really the Pharaoh type, right? It's what I told my father plenty of times, but since I was his only son, I was forced to take the throne after his…untimely death." He gave a small shrug of his shoulders, not bothering to say more.

Yuugi squirmed again, but Atemu kept him still with a rather rough tug of the arms. Another silence came over the group as Ishizu flickered her gaze between Pharaoh and thief. After a minute of digesting the information given, she gave a small nod and motioned to the stairs.

"I guess since you probably won't be going back into your items," - Yuugi had to blink at how quickly she got that - "you might as well stay. Pharaoh-"

"Just Atemu. No formalities necessary."

"-_Atemu_ will stay with Yami and Yuugi, and Akefia will be with Bakura and Ryou, since you seem to be…acquainted already." She chose to ignore the wince both Yuugi and Ryou shared at the announcement. "If there were more rooms in this house, then I would be offering them up. We'll just have to deal with this arrangement for now." With one finger, she beckoned Ryou and Malik towards her. "Ryou, Malik, I have to talk to you two for a minute." Ryou nodded and quickly exited into the kitchen, but Mariku wouldn't allow the smaller blond out of his grasp. However, an icy glare from Malik's older sister had the crazy blond muttering while relaxing his grip. Malik managed to shake off the offending arms and escape right behind his sister.

Yuugi paled, suddenly realizing after the three had disappeared around the corner that he was now left with all the crazies. Swallowing thickly, he used this moment when Atemu was semi relaxed to tear free from his grip, ignoring the small whine coming from the tanned man.

"I'll be in my room." Yuugi called over shoulder as he raced up the stairs. It wasn't until he had slammed his room's door behind him did he even begin to relax. A long, drawn out sigh escaped his lips as he collapsed onto the bed, making it squeak harshly in protest. He had a few moments of peace then.

However, it didn't last long as he heard a loud, sudden knock come from his door. Muttering under his breath, Yuugi flipped to his stomach and ignored the person on the other side, hoping against hope it wasn't the flirty Atemu come to claim him as his own.

The door, which Yuugi had regretfully forgotten to lock, creaked open. The floor cracked with sudden weight and the door clicked closed, signalling someone's entry. He listened as quiet footsteps approached, his heart rate picking up in slight fear for reasons unknown. His mind slowed down time as images from his nightmare flashed underneath his eyelids and phantom sounds that weren't really there echoed against his ears. A small, almost unheard whimper tried to break through tightened lips, succeeding in the end.

"Yuugi?"

The sudden voice had the said graduate jump into a sitting position, petrified eyes trained intensely on Yami's concerned gaze. He tried to calm his breathing, but it instead came out as soft pantings.

"Are you okay, Yuugi?" Yami asked once most of the fear had abandoned the other's eyes. He slowly made his way over to the bedside, sitting down next to the shivering younger.

Yuugi didn't answer right away. He was instead trying to get his heart rate to stop dancing in his throat, blocking all possible ways of communication by voice. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, his vocal cords allowed themselves to be used.

"Yeah," he murmured softly. "I'm fine. You just scared me a little."

That was an understatement, and they both knew it, but Yuugi couldn't find the words to help describe the way he actually felt. He was still trying to figure that out, after all.

Yami accepted the response nonetheless, nodding his consent. His violet and red gaze flickered to the closed door, where small sounds of talking could be heard.

"I'm sorry he did that to you." The spirit said softly. "I…" There seemed to be a lingering statement in the air, but neither could quite grasp it, so Yuugi chose to ignore it for now.

"It's alright. I just don't want to be grabbed without permission, you know?" He cracked a small smile, and he felt his heart flutter when it was gladly returned.

* * *

My writer's block was slowly getting beat down as I continued writing, but I seriously had a tough time writing this :x At least it's longer than last chapter.

And a little twist on Atemu and Akefia's relationship. I made them kind of like each other…In a strange kind of way. Almost brotherly, y'know? Don't ask why, though, 'cause I'm still trying to figure that out myself.

Congrats if you got the small, unintentional joke in the second paragraph: "it gave Yuugi the perfect amount of time to assess the situation" -wink wink- if you know what I mean.

…Ugh I need a life.

Hope you all had a Happy New Year! (2014 already?)

R&R~


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: Guh, okay. So ff . net wasn't letting me log on yesterday and then it wasn't letting me update, so this chapter's a day late :x Sorry.

Anywho, time for Numbah 18, which takes a small look into Ryou's mind through Yuugi's perspective in the beginning then dives into some Atemu/Yami/Yuugi relationship development.

Thanks to everyone who had reviewed/favorited/followed. You guys make me focus on this instead of going off on a crazy adventure of different writings.

Enjoy~

* * *

Lunch was a quiet time that day. Ishizu had whipped up some simple peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and everyone split off to their respective rooms with mumbled "thank you"s and grunts.

Yuugi and Ryou lingered in the kitchen, though. Even after Ishizu had to leave for some important business over at the museum she worked in, they hovered over the leftover sandwiches with reluctance to join the others upstairs. While Yuugi dug into his second sandwich, Ryou still nibbling on his first, the tri-colored haired graduate couldn't help but notice the albino's very quiet nature.

Now, Yuugi didn't have much to compare to, since he'd barely known Ryou longer than the spirits, but somehow he knew the albino was not himself. The bright young man he had met on that first day had been slowly fading since Bakura's arrival, and with Akefia now in play, Yuugi worried about the other's sanity. At least Yami was friend worthy, though obviously lacking in major social skills. Atemu, Yuugi could handle. After all, lots of his kind had roamed around during Yuugi's high school years, and he managed to distract them long enough to survive with everything intact.

However, Bakura and Akefia were different. Very different than Yami and Atemu. Although not as obviously insane as Mariku, they did seem to radiate a kind of malicious aura that spelled trouble with a capital 'T'. With one, Ryou was sure to handle it, but with now the added edition of a 'Thief King'…

"Ryou," Yuugi mumbled through a bite of sandwich. He took the time to swallow and let the other's attention snap to him. "are you feeling alright?"

There was a flash of momentary confusion at what he was referring to, but it was soon replaced with a secondary emotion that Yuugi couldn't identify. Ryou took another small bite to stall before answering. "I am perfectly fine, Yuugi." His voice was steady and strong, and if he hadn't been observing him, Yuugi would've guessed he was telling the truth. "What would make you think otherwise?"

With a nonchalant shrug that contained his deep, hidden concern for the other, Yuugi sighed softly. "It's nothing. Just thought I'd ask." He resumed eating after he was finished speaking, but kept a close eye on his friend.

Ryou nodded, not quite looking like he believed him, but let the topic drift off with the others that they wanted to address. They trailed off into silence once more, the only sound being the soft smacking of lips and tongues as the peanut butter stuck to the roofs of mouths.

"I had a nightmare." Ryou suddenly whispered, his doe brown gaze locked in a faraway look on the half eaten sandwich. Yuugi's neck almost snapped roughly from the amount of speed he used when he looked up, his eyesight darkening slightly from the quick movement of blood.

"A nightmare?" Yuugi parroted in a quiet breath. "What about?"

The albino shrugged. "I…I don't remember much. It just felt like I was being…chased." The last word was a mere whisper, barely heard above the small humming of the air conditioner.

Yuugi sucked in his lower lip, kneading the flesh with his teeth. His eyes flickered around the kitchen as a bugging question prodding his lips into moving. "Did…" He paused to swallow past the rising panic and suspicion. "Did you hear…anything?" His gaze found Ryou's again, but the albino was still staring intently at his food, mind elsewhere.

"Yeah. There was some breathing, I think…and footsteps…"

It wasn't the answer Yuugi was looking for. Twitching uncomfortably, he continued to whisper. "A-anything else?"

Ryou caught the small shiver in his voice. He glanced up sharply, eyes narrowing in quiet observation. They were silent for a few moments before the interrogation began. "Why are you asking me these questions? It's just a nightmare. We all have them."

Yuugi nodded quickly, his gaze drifting to the corner of the kitchen. "I know…I was just curious." He murmured, stuffing the rest of the sandwich into his mouth so he couldn't have the chance to talk again. An awkward stillness fell over them, but Yuugi refused to leave the room. One, that would probably be rude to Ryou, and two, he really didn't want to be near Atemu. He still needed to figure out how to deal with him. So, he munched and mulled over ideas on how to return the comfortable atmosphere.

Unfortunately, not five minutes later, Yuugi's decision was taken from his hands as Yami entered the kitchen, an empty plate at hand. The spirit paused at the doorway, sensing the tenseness of the room, before braving it to, what Yuugi assumed, grab seconds, most likely for Atemu.

He let the silence go on for a little longer before interrupting. "Yuugi." Said young man hesitantly glanced up through his bangs at the spirit. "I had a small…chat with Atemu, and he agreed to not touch you against your will unless you allow it."

Yuugi sighed, nodding in slight relief. However, it didn't lessen the blow of dread once Yami had filled his plate once more and beckoned the smaller to follow him back to their temporary room. Sighing in defeat, knowing that any resistance would inevitably be futile, Yuugi placed his own plate aside, as his hunger had gone with the two sandwiches he ate, and trailed Yami to the doorway, where they paused as Yami backtracked a couple steps to face Ryou.

"Oh, and Ryou?"

"Hm?" Ryou answered distantly, lazily glancing upwards.

"Bakura told me to send for you. I believe he and Akefia wish to talk." Yami said it in a way that had a small, unlying ''I'm sorry'' to it, and it made Ryou smile and nod appreciatively, though none missing the slight panic that settled into those brown irises. It seemed Yuugi wasn't the only one who had seen the small albino's discomfort.

With that was said and done, Yami turned back around, this time snatching Yuugi's hand as he brushed past. Yuugi didn't mind, however, and just squeezed to reassure he was alright with this. At least, from him, that is.

They walked up the stairs and down the hall in silence. As soon as they arrived at the door, Yami stopped and let go of Yuugi's hand to open the door, since his other hand was full with the plate. Once it was open, Yami entered almost immediately, leaving the door as it was so Yuugi could join once he was ready. The young man heard Atemu's voice greet the spirit, and seem to start to ask something, but was cut off as Yami began to speak in Ancient Egyptian. Yuugi stayed near the doorway in a position where he could only see half of one side of the room, but not the one that currently held the former Pharaoh and spirit.

He didn't know what he was waiting for, really. He guessed nerves were the main cause of it, since he was still trying to get over the fact that the, well, _previously_ Nameless Pharaoh was just a few measly feet away from him, talking idly with his former personal servant.

A small silence in the room interrupted Yuugi's thoughts, and he figured now was as good as a time he'd get. Slowly, he poked his head around the corner of the doorway, and instantly connected gazes with Atemu's strikingly crimson ones. The tanned Ancient Egyptian, who was seated on the edge of the bed, smirked in a sort of friendly way, giving him a small wave in greeting. Yami, who was standing next to the Pharaoh, noticed and turned to smile at Yuugi in reassurance, a tiny flick of the wrist the only movement made in attracting him forwards.

With a sigh, Yuugi emerged from his rather comfy corner and entered the small guest bedroom, ignoring the blatant stares he was receiving from Atemu, remembering the first thing his longtime obsession had said to him.

"_My, what a beautiful boy. What I wouldn't do to have you in my harem."_

Shivering and pushing aside previous encounters with the tanned individual, Yuugi stiffly sat himself down on the side perpendicular to Atemu's, avoiding anyone's gaze while fiddling with a small string on his clothes. It reminded him that he would have to return to the hotel to get a clean outfit.

Atemu's smirk grew as Yuugi sat himself, and he started to inch closer when Yami decided to plop down right on the corner connecting them, making the former Pharaoh pout at the denial. Yami gave him a warning glare while Atemu sighed and leaned back against the pillows.

The sight was both confusing and amusing for Yuugi, who had looked up once the bed had dipped at the added weight of the spirit, since he had thought that Yami would've treated his former Pharaoh with more…respect. Although, Yuugi couldn't really find himself being too surprised, since he had received enough new findings in the past week than he ever thought possible. So, instead of frowning, he felt his lips twitch upwards at Atemu's rather cute pout.

However, the smile didn't last very long as Yuugi's attention drifted to Yami's wrists, which were bare instead of covered in bandages.

"Yami? Where are your bandages?" Yuugi asked softly, not really wanting too much attention to be drawn to him.

Said spirit blinked at the smaller for a second before, glancing at his wrists. He twisted them around, causing Yuugi to see a quick image of the faintest of scars on each one. "I removed them shortly after breakfast." Yami answered after a minute, not chancing a glance in Atemu's direction.

The Pharaoh had sat up as soon as Yuugi had spoken, giving them both a questioning look. "What bandages?" He inquired, scootching closer to the spirit and grabbing a hold of his wrists to examine them, much to Yami's surprise.

"You didn't notice them?" Yuugi asked, this time letting his voice increase with his own confusion. "He had them on last night."

Atemu shook his head, apparently not willing to talk about the fact that something so noticeable had slipped him. Yuugi narrowed his eyes, taking in the darker than usual skin around the bridge of Atemu's nose and the way he wouldn't look at anyone in the eyes.

"How did you receive these wounds?" Atemu asked Yami, tracing one of the scars with a gentle finger. Yami reacted negatively, almost yanking his arms away from the other at the question.

"Yami?" Yuugi asked, recognizing the faraway and dull look Yami was starting to get. He grimaced, feeling a pang of annoyance that this attitude was still present. And with another, especially Atemu, to witness it, Yuugi felt a headache coming.

As expected, when Yami didn't start supplying answers, he turned to Yuugi with a sharp gaze that almost demanded answers.

Make that a migraine.

* * *

And we've got some hints of shy!Yuugi, cute!Atemu, and, of course, some broken!Yami (anyone getting tired of these annoying!phrases :x ?)

I don't know whether to be happy or nervous that school's out for another two days for a "snow" day. We've got around -20 windchills, and my math teacher has us on a pretty tight schedule already. Ah, the bittersweetness of it all.

Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Next one will still be on Thursday.

R&R~


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: Gyah, more problems with updating. And no, this isn't some lame excuse to pardon my lateness. Maybe it's my computer…

**fireycloud: **I haven't really thought of doing a Ryou or Malik perspective. Probably won't, since I consider this to be more of a Yuugi story, so it'll be focusing on him. We'll get to see what happens to our other lovely lights through Yuugi, though. That can be certain.

**Great (Anonymous review):** Not really sure if you were looking for an answer, but I'll give one anyways. Yami, having been trapped in the Box with his replaying memories and such, is kind of unstable, as you have mentioned. His past isn't a cheerful one, and it really haunts him. Plus, there's this whole thing going on surrounding Yami's strange behavior, but more to be revealed on that as we go through more chapters. (Mm, isn't broken!Yami just…_great?_ :x -pun intended- )

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed/favorited/followed!

Enjoy~

* * *

The room filled with uncomfortable, tense and questioning silence. Yami remained as still as a statue, his body erect and his gaze dulled and focused on a faraway memory, presumably the memory of the night he had gotten his wrists cut. Atemu was glowering at Yuugi, unspoken questions floating in those striking crimson orbs as his fingers danced on the bedsheets; a nervous habit, perhaps. Yuugi, whose throat had tighten and dried to the equivalent of a desert, flickered his own amethyst gaze between the two men. His eyes softened with concern when faced with Yami's still form, then hardened with uncertainty once it came into contact with Atemu's still questioning one, quickly darting back towards Yami as if stung, the process repeating itself.

No one said anything for what seemed like ages. Yuugi's mind was rapidly thinking of what to say, of what to do, but fruitlessly coming up with nothing in return. Thankfully, Atemu soon became annoyed with the stretched out silence and spoke out his concerns.

"Yuugi," said young man almost flinched at the hard, agitated tone the other used, "aren't you going to tell me why Yami had to wear bandages?"

"He got cut." Yuugi said simply, ignoring the fact that Atemu had called Yami by the name Yuugi had given him, since he guessed that the spirit had wanted to be called that instead of his old name, though not knowing why. He refused to look at either men this time. Instead, his gaze was on his shirt, focusing on twiddling the fabric endlessly to avoid the actual answer.

A low growl indicated that Atemu had caught the divergence. "And _how_, pray tell, did Yami receive these cuts?" His voice dared Yuugi to dart around the real answer.

Although, Yuugi didn't really know the real answer, now did he? Only Yami knew what had happened that night, and whenever the subject was brought up, he suddenly became a clam and kept everything under his shell. A perfect example would be that very moment, as Yami had yet to move or, as Yuugi thought, blink.

So, instead of complying with the former Pharaoh, Yuugi did something that often times annoyed whoever the recipient was. "And why do you care so much?"

Ah, answering a question with another question. It never fails to irritate, and this situation was not an exception. As soon as Atemu's brain had registered that Yuugi had indeed spoken, but not the answers he was searching for, his face darkened and his eyes flashed dangerously. It didn't help that the question Yuugi had asked had enraged him further, as the barely visible emotion of hurt at being asked such a thing was evident in his eyes.

Yuugi realized his mistaken much too late, unfortunately, since Atemu was already leaning in with hands ablaze with cold, forbidding shadows. He was advancing at a speed too great for poor Yuugi to dodge, so he could only sit there and take it.

However, just as Atemu's hands were about to snatch up Yuugi's forearms, a pale hand intercepted the attack with its own shadowy magic, causing a sharp burst of dark light to ignite, momentarily blinding Yuugi. Once his vision cleared, he saw Atemu staring intensely into Yami's multicolored gaze, the spirit's hands gripping the tanner's wrists in a strong enough hold to cease any further advancement on the smaller. There was another small tense silence before Atemu sighed heavily, relaxing his body and flopping onto the bed once Yami released his grip.

Once Atemu was no longer a problem, Yami sat back on his heels and turned to face Yuugi, his gaze scanning the smaller's body for any sign of harm. The action made Yuugi's face flush in the slightest, and he quickly looked towards one of the corners. The bed shifted, and he felt a finger hook around his chin, gently tilting it back towards Yami, who raked his gaze all over Yuugi's face. By now the smaller was scarlet, holding his breath as the other's wafted across his cheek in a soothing way.

"Nothing hurts, right, Yuugi?" Yami murmured, finally releasing Yuugi's chin but not backing away at all. It was all Yuugi could do but shake his head dumbly, trying to control his raging hormones before he did something really stupid. "Good." And with that, Yami leaned backwards with a soft sigh of relief.

It was then Yuugi noticed that Atemu had been silently observing the exchange while in his laying position, his gaze scorching with an unknown and unfamiliar emotion. It was swiftly suppressed once their eyes connected, and Atemu cleared his throat to gain Yami's attention.

"Yami." Atemu clipped, sitting up to look deeply into the other's eyes. "What happened a few nights ago?"

The spirit remained motionless for a few seconds, and Yuugi was beginning to think he'd gone back to that faraway place he goes to when his mind leaves for a vacation when a small, familiar voice spoke up.

"kkwy nfr aA."

Yuugi easily recognized the phrase from the night prior, when Yami had muttered it to Bakura and Mariku. And just like before, Atemu stiffened and lost some color to his face, looking quite sickly. His lower lip was sucked into his mouth and gnawed at while his eyes flashed many emotions, each passing too quickly to comprehend.

Soon the former Pharaoh got ahold of himself, another heavy sigh escaping his thin lips before he gave a small nod of the head in reluctant acknowledgement. Both men turned their heads to face a thoroughly confused Yuugi who was watching them as his head tilted unconsciously to the side. The sight brought faint smiles to both faces.

Before anyone could speak, a loud _thump_ echoed from the far wall, sounding from the room next to theirs. Yuugi blinked, his mind reciting that it was Ryou's shared guest room that the sound had come from, and instant fear for his friend's safety flashed into his eyes. Atemu caught it quickly and waved it off with a small scoff.

"Don't worry about them." The former Pharaoh muttered somewhat fondly, with a hint of annoyance. "Akefia and Bakura like to get…shall we say, frisky?"

Yuugi stared wide eyed at Atemu, not quite believing him until a low moan sounded from the same wall. The smaller paled.

"But…" He began, not quite sure how to put it. "What…what about Ryou?"

Yami and Atemu shared another glance, before each shrugged simultaneously, indicating that neither knew of what fate the young albino had. "He's either with them, or running from them." Atemu answered nonchalantly, leaning back against the pillows once more. Gulping, Yuugi jumped to his feet and raced out of the room before anymore strange noises could be heard. He thought he could hear a small snicker at his quick escape, but chose to ignore it, like many other things.

He was about to go and barge into the guest room next to his own, but stopped once he saw a hint of white skirt the edge of his vision. Turning on his heels, Yuugi cautiously made his way down the stairs, peeking around the corners to spot the one he was searching for. Making sure to avoid the living room, since he heard barely contained bickering obviously between Malik and Mariku, Yuugi made his way to the kitchen, where he successfully found a shaking Ryou huddled by the counter.

"Ryou?" Yuugi murmured, gently placing a hand on the albino's shoulder. The other flinched horribly, and Yuugi instantly felt bad. "Sorry," he muttered afterwards, removing his hand so they weren't having physical contact.

"No, I'm sorry." Ryou was quick to interject. "I've just been jumpy lately. I could probably use a day to myself sometime soon…"

"How about two days from now? You, me, and Malik can hit the town and go relax while the…others can stay home." Yuugi suggested, smiling warmly in hopes that would sway the other's decision.

But Ryou nodded, to Yuugi's delight. "Yeah, sounds like fun. But…why not tomorrow? Why two days from now?"

Sighing - he couldn't help but notice that he'd been doing that a lot lately - Yuugi leaned against the counter. "I would do it tomorrow, but I have to go back to the hotel. All my clothes are there, and I would like to take a nice, long shower."

Ryou smiled faintly. "Yeah, a shower sounds nice…" Yuugi stayed silent about the fact that his expression looked almost desperate, and it unnerved him greatly.

* * *

"kkwy nfr aA" : The Darkness is here.

Alright. So I believe this is the end of Yuugi's fourth night in Egypt, but correct me if I'm wrong. I need to know this because I have to drag Yuugi back to Japan soon, and I need to know which day he is on so I can prepare for the day he needs to return (after day seven, I'm thinking).

So we've got some Mobiumshipping in here, with some hints of Geminishipping. It only really took around eighteen to nineteen chapters to get it in, but here it is. You liked?

Next chapter _should_ be on Monday, but if not, it will be on Tuesday, and I just might change the dates to Tuesdays and Fridays :x

R&R~


	20. Chapter 20

A/N: M'kay, time for an Atemu, then Yami chapter, taking place shortly after Yuugi leaves to go find Ryou last chapter. More bipolarness from Yami, too. Oooh, and Monarchshipping.

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed/favorited/followed! You guys are making me smile like a lunatic.

Enjoy~

* * *

Atemu chuckled as Yuugi made a beeline for the door, but was quickly quieted as a hard nudge dug into his side. Frowning, he looked over to see a pissed off Yami glaring at him with those crimson and violet eyes of his. The former Pharaoh felt a hint of relief once he realized that the other's gaze was no longer holding that dull, empty look he had on before.

"What?" He asked, trying to force down the grin that was making his lips twitch.

There was a pregnant pause before Yami gave out a heavy sigh, shifting so he was laying fully on the bed, leaving the question to hang there for the time being. Atemu watched with hints of concern before following suit, leaving some space between them just in case Yami was still feeling uncomfortable with being around his presence once more.

He tapped his tanned fingers against his own forearms, staring at the bland ceiling with disinterest. There were many things he wished to discuss with the spirit, many involving his scary - although Atemu would never admit to being scared, let alone for another person - reaction to being asked the origin of his cuts.

Fortunately, Atemu wouldn't have to be the one to start the conversation, since Yami decided to, albeit softly, speak up. "Why?"

The simple, one worded question startled the former Pharaoh. He tilted his head so he was looking the other directly in the eyes. His own gaze narrowed in thought as he tried to come up with a reason Yami would ask such a thing. "What?" He repeated, this time real confusion lacing his slightly deeper voice.

Yami puffed out a breath of air before turning his attention to the ceiling. "Why did you lie?"

Another question Atemu had no idea how to answer. He racked his brain, looking over past conversations in order to find the time he let a simple lie pass his lips. None would pop up right away. "…What?" Atemu said for the third time, annoyance taking control this time.

"Why did you lie?" Yami repeated, this time slower. When all he got was a warning growl, he elaborated. "I mean, why did you lie to Ishizu? You…you said you were your father's only son…" His voice trailed off as the once forbidden subject was hesitantly brought up.

Apparently, the topic was still unwanted, because, after waiting a few tense minutes for a response, Atemu simply threw a lazy wave into the air and muttered a small, "It is not of your concern." His calm tone hid the tiny amount of anger at Yami for dragging up this conversation, since the spirit knew how this affected him.

However, it seemed Yami was fed up with ignoring the giant, green elephant in the room. He sat up and leaned over Atemu's lax body, trying to connect his gaze with his own. When that failed, Yami gripped the former Pharaoh's chin and gently turned it so their eyes met. A strange kind of softness was shown from Yami's crimson and violet gaze, and it made Atemu bite his lip.

"Atemu," Yami murmured sternly. Said man recognized the voice from his own mischievous days. "I may have not known…_him, _but I know of him. I also know he was important to you, and you were heartbroken when he was taken from you in such an unjust way…" He sighed, releasing the tanned man's chin to sit back on his heels. "Yuugi…he reminds you of _him_, does he not?"

Each drawn out 'him' acted almost like a dagger to Atemu, and his shoulders shook with every blow. Refusing Yami to see the now openly shown weakness in his blood red eyes, Atemu turned to face the opposite wall. His actions spoke affirmative to the spirit who had known him since he was a small prince.

"But…" Yami started, trailing once he realized how such a question he wanted to ask would affect the other. However, deciding that now was probably the best time to get results from Atemu, the spirit asked anyways. "But, if Yuugi reminds you of _him_, then…why do you treat him as you have been?"

As was expected, Atemu gained a fiery look in his eyes, sitting up and grasping Yami's hair in a quick, trained motion. The spirit tried not to flinch at the sharp pain coming from his scalp and instead focused on the one causing that pain. "You do _not_ know of the extents in our relationship. How I treat him…How I _treated_ him is none. Of. Your. Concern."

They stayed in their positions for what seemed like hours, before Atemu finally realized what he was doing. Quickly, he gently loosened his grip on the other's locks and rubbed the abused scalp in apology. A small, understanding smile was his response, and the two broke contact.

It wasn't like Yami was not expecting such an outburst. In fact, it was quite the opposite, and both parties knew of it. Back when they were both…alive, since what they were now certainly wasn't that, Yami had often inquired about the events in which led up to the spirit's creation. Each time Atemu lashed out, sometimes even giving the curious guardian a suckerpunch in the eye. Soon, Yami had stopped asking, and all was forgiven.

But now that Yuugi had released the both of them, the paler had sparked up his curiosity once more. Having heard rumors of this _him_ the two had just tried to converse about around the palace they lived in all those years ago, often times only being told something vague and misleading, Yami had eventually pieced in a pretty accurate picture of what he looked like. Strangely enough, as soon as Yami had set his sights on little Yuugi, he could've sworn he was looking into _his_ eyes.

And judging from the way Atemu had recently acted, Yami could easily guess that the former Pharaoh had seen it, too.

"It's…" Yami whispered after the silence between them stretched for too long. "It's alright that you felt that way towards _him_ when he was still around. It was common for someone to do so, correct? Your ancestors have done it plenty of times before."

A dry chuckle escaped Atemu's mouth, a faint smile that didn't reach his eyes beginning to form. "Yes, they have. Many times, actually. I'm surprised I turned out to be so healthy…" Another sigh. "However, I'm pretty sure it was only done with the opposite sex to produce a hier. No one comes to mind when I think of what he and I shared…"

Yami tried to swallow past the lump that was swiftly taking shape in his throat. "And…if things had ended up different, and the darkness did not sweep the land…"

Atemu caught the hidden question. "I would not have cared what others would've thought. I would have married him and taken no other to my bed."

"Ah." Yami had no other things to say after that, since the lump had increased its size as soon as the tanned man spoke those words. Of course, he had predicted such an answer. After observing his actions and reactions over the past three thousand years, Yami had become quite the expert at reading him, only be unable to know what was going on in the other's head if Atemu himself was confused beyond belief, his thoughts in a long tumble down the hill of uncertainty. Now was such a time, since, try as he might, Yami could only get small flashes of true emotion and thought from those crimson orbs. The rest was a muddled sea of varying degrees.

The spirit soon laid back down on the bed, thoroughly exhausted from the none too revealing conversation. He stared at the ceiling once more before the bed squeak as another body shifted his position to join him. They stayed like that for a while, listening to muffled conversations and the low moanings of the two next door.

A warm, rough hand wiggled itself into Yami's cold pale one, and squeezed lightly. The action spoke louder than any words ever could, and the spirit felt himself smiling nostalgically.

"I'm sorry." The apology rolled off his tongue without Yami's proper consent, but it received a knowing chuckled from Atemu.

"Heh, it's okay." With another gently squeeze of the hand, they fell into a comfortable silence, enjoying the other's company gratefully, as it had been a very long time since they had done so.

It wasn't until the call for dinner sounded that the two moved from their comfortable positions, and when they did, they still held the other's hand firmly, each knowing of the message it came with.

* * *

Oh gods I've been wanting to write this for soo long. Monarchshipping is just…-sigh-

So, now we've got some mystery wiggling its way through our lovely story. Who is this "_him"_ Yami and Atemu were talking about? What is his relation to Atemu? What happened to him, and what does he have to do with Yuugi?

(I'm not even sure if I completely know yet :x)

Anywho, was this chapter good? Great? Terrible? So-so? Please share!

R&R~


	21. Chapter 21

A/N: Eheh, probably should've thought of better questions to ask. Those were too easy.

As you may (or may not) have guessed, the mysterious 'he' Atemu and Yami were talking about last chapter is indeed Heba (obviously) and he was Atemu's brother (if you didn't figure it out). However, this is all I'm gonna reveal for now. If I don't probe this subject again in later chapters, you may except the prequel after this story is all under wraps.

And now, an awkward, fluffy filler chapter.

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed/favorited/followed!

Enjoy~

* * *

Dinner was an uneventful time. The group ate in the living room, the modern day men and woman sitting on one side while the spirits were on the other. Everyone avoided eye contact for one reason and another.

After finishing the delicious soup, which had no meat in it to fit the needs of the vegetarian Ishizu and Malik, Yuugi had mumbled quiet and praising 'thank you's to Ishizu before quickly getting up and escaping the tense environment of the living room. Upon entering the kitchen, Yuugi took the time to wash his dishes, figuring that Ishizu would probably end up having the tedious task anyways.

Turning the tap on and letting warm water run across his fingers and down the soap cloaked plate, Yuugi let his mind wander, inevitably landing on his two look-a-likes who have been plaguing him since the early morning began. He felt a rush of different emotions hitting him like the water was now, each one flowing too fast to pick out. Annoyance grew once he realized he didn't even know if he liked them or not. Sure, they had their perks, but they also had faults that were hard to ignore.

_Especially Atemu._ Yuugi thought bitterly, before letting out a sigh that released him of all thought once so ever. The sudden silence draped over Yuugi's shoulders and let a small, serene smile come to his lips.

No, he couldn't hate either of them. Yami seemed sweet and Atemu had his weird sense of humor. Besides, as long as Yuugi wasn't anywhere near a bed alone with him, Atemu really wasn't a threat.

Yuugi paled drastically, the smile abruptly coming to form an awkward expression that looked like a mixed between surprise, disgust, and fear. Thoughts and images of what tonight, the first night that Atemu would - officially - spend with them would bring. Somehow, thinking of himself sleeping next to an obviously perverted man like Atemu made Yuugi want to immediately go back to Japan and pretend none of this had ever happened, even if it meant he'd never get answers for the 'Nameless Pharaoh' mystery.

Brushing that idea away, since it was a _very_ unlikely event, Yuugi mulled over possible ways to get around this dilemma. Kicking Atemu out wouldn't work. Yami probably would want to spend as much time with him as possible now that he's back and there was no way Yuugi would be able to kick the pale spirit out if that was the case. Swapping with another person was probably another 'no.' Who _would_ want to switch anyways?

The water had grown cold by now, and Yuugi was unaware of the pair of eyes watching with concern from the doorway leading into the living room where the faint sounds of metal forks and spoons scratching on glass plates echoed.

"Yuugi?"

Ryou's soft and delicately accented voice snapped the said young man out of his daze, startling him to the point where he almost dropped the plate he was still tightly grasping. His other senses came back in a rush, and he quickly turned the tap off once the cold water registered.

"Uh, y-yeah?" Yuugi stuttered uneasily at being caught drifting through his own world.

"Are you okay?" The small albino scuttled across the kitchen floor and leaned on the counter Yuugi was at. "You seem distracted. May I ask what you were thinking about?"

The tri-colored haired young man waved off the question. "Oh, you know…" His mind fiddled with different ideas on what to say next. "Stuff…" He let out a small, forced chuckle, but the other didn't react other than the lift of a thin brow.

"Sure…" Ryou muttered, crossing his arms much like the way mothers would do to guilty children.

"Eh, Ryou?" A low humming was the response and Yuugi figured he had nothing to lose. "Could we possibly…switch sleeping partners?" His voice went higher than necessary at the end to ask the question, as if it was a question questioning a question…If that made any sense.

There was a slow blink coming from the other and a very pregnant pause before Ryou sighed. "I wish." He gave Yuugi an almost smirk. "But, sadly, it's impossible to get what we want."

At the blank look on Yuugi's face, Ryou continued. "Well, I can't move into your room and shove both Yami and Atemu - since they're pretty inseparable - into my room with Akefia and Bakura. There's no room in there. And we can't make Malik join us so there will be an extra bed, or make them go in there, since Mariku is pretty possessive over our blond friend, even if he will probably be on the couch again tonight. Plus, I doubt any of our new…eh, spirit friends would like the idea of us trying to get away from them."

"Oh." Yuugi breathed out, his mind still trying to process all that had been said. "But what about -"

Ryou cut him off with a small finger pressed against his mouth. "It's better if you don't fight it." And with that, the small albino smiled almost gleefully before promptly leaving the other in a semi state of confusion. A minute passed before Yuugi realized he was still standing and staring quizzically at the fridge. Flushing a bit at the metal image of what he must've looked like if anyone would've came in and seen him, he dried his dishes and put them away.

He skirted the edge of the living room, avoiding eye contact with anyone. As he ascended the stairs, he tried to ignore the burning sensation he knew was someone's, either Yami or Atemu's, stare.

* * *

Yuugi was all dressed in a pair of spare pajamas, having just completed the 'before-bed' cycle of his routine. He was now glaring holes into the guest room's bed comforter. Yami sat comfortably on said comforter, his shoulder resting on one of the bedposts as he waited for Atemu to finish getting changed in the bathroom. If Yuugi had been in a better mood, he would've giggled at the sight of the half asleep look the pale spirit held on his face.

As soon as the door cracked open with a small sound of protest, Yuugi muttered the words "I'm sleeping on the floor" and tried to move to get the futon the Ishtar's had around somewhere.

The keyword being _tried_.

Once the words had left his mouth, two muscular arms slinked around Yuugi's waist and warm breath wafted across his neck. "You're not going anywhere."

Yuugi made a sound akin to a high pitched 'eep' before he tried to escape the other's grip, clawing at the bare arms that tightened at his barely painful attack.

Again, the keyword being _tried_.

A chuckle made its way into Yuugi's ear and he suddenly found his legs being swept under him as Atemu picked the small man up and pressed him against his tanned, hard, _bare_ chest. Bridal style.

Before further, more painful protests could be made, Atemu swiftly made his way over to the bedside and slide the smaller into the pulled back covers, tucking him in like a mother would.

"Atemu."

The tanned man instantly stilled his hands and glanced over at the stern sounding Yami. The pale spirit was still leaning against the opposite bedpost, although he was now glaring lazily at Atemu with half lidded and exhausted eyes. However, the tiredness did not stop Yami from letting the former Pharaoh know what was okay and what was not at the moment.

Grumbling incoherent words and phrases, Atemu pulled his hands away from Yuugi's body and crossed them tenaciously. Yami simply rolled his eyes and climbed in next to the smaller, who had grown still ever since he had been picked up. It wasn't until Atemu had started to lift the covers to allow himself access into the bed did Yuugi snap out of whatever trance he was in.

He squirmed as both Yami and Atemu's warmth heated up his sides. "There's no room." He complained in a childish whine. "Why do I have to be in the middle?"

_Why do I have to be here at all?_ He left that question unspoken.

He saw Atemu's fingers twitch before the tanned man flipped on to his other side so his back was to the others. "Yami told me you liked to shift in your sleep. This is so you won't fall off the bed." The gruff reply was met by a scowl on Yuugi's face, though he didn't know that.

Yuugi turned to complain to Yami about it, but the spirit was already breathing deeply, indicating that sleep had settled in. Muttering a few curses directed at Atemu and the fact that he was rather comfortable in between the two, none of which the still slightly asleep former Pharaoh heard, Yuugi snuggled his head into the gap separating the two pillows and his vision was filled with fabric white.

Several awkward and sleep opposing moments passed before the smaller felt cool feet rub against his leg. They belonged to Yami, and Yuugi found himself enjoying the coolness like he had that one night before. He saw sleep finally edged its way into the sides of his vision as his breathing deepened.

Before he could fall into the inviting darkness, the bed shifted and he felt rather than saw the arms that tugged him into a warm chest. He was out like a light the moment something wet landed on his cheek.

* * *

Mmm…Not really sure whether I like it or not.

Feedback?

R&R~


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